


BBD Isn't Already Gone

by PoemTree



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-06-07 21:59:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 70,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15228780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoemTree/pseuds/PoemTree
Summary: Purgatory, 2017Our usual protagonists live their lives between whiskey, bullets and romance. With only one goal in mind : breaking the Earp Curse.Two arriving strangers cross the path of the Earp sisters and their friends ... but what do they want in Purgatory ? Are they friend or enemy ?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> do you know the feeling when you can't stop thinking about something ?
> 
> I tried to put my thoughts on paper ... or on screen ;-) and there are even more thoughts
> 
> it's my first real FanFic except the ETA Fic Challenge 2018
> 
> big thank you to my proofreader, Jules <3 you're the best ... and thanks for your lovely support

#  Chapter One

Nicole sat in her police cruiser in front of the Earp homestead. It was already a few minutes after 7 p.m. One hour after her today shift had ended. During the day Waverly had called to ask if Nicole would come to the homestead after her shift. She wanted to talk to her. Nicole agreed and now here she was. She had no idea what Waverly wanted to talk about. Well, there were many thing they could talk about but ... she had to wait until Waverly had told her. Waverly's voice sounded strange on the phone, not as familiar as usual, and her tone didn't bode well.

It was a beautiful evening. Sunset had already set in, only a few small clouds were visible in the sky. They looked like small balls of cotton wool that were driven by a light wind and shone pink thanks to the setting sun. At this time of year, the landscape around Purgatory was gorgeous. It was quiet outside the city, the trees were already changing their colors and preparing for the coming winter. Nicole liked that time. She enjoyed the few quiet moments in her life. In addition to her job as a police officer in Purgatory, she helped the Earp sisters hunt for revenants. There were still so many of them to kill before the Earp curse was broken. But what worried her more at the moment was Waverly.

Nicole picked up her keys, got out of her car and locked it. Still wearing her uniform she headed for the Earp house. She was only one step away from the front porch when Waverly opened the door and without a word of welcome she disappeared back inside. Obviously, the reason for Waverly's call wasn't good. Nicole hesitated a bit before entering the house and closing the door behind her.

Nicole stopped in the hall and played with her car key. Waverly wasn't to be seen or heard. Otherwise it was quiet in the house. Nicole decided to go slowly in the direction of the living room. There she found Waverly sitting on the sofa with her eyes lowered.

"Hi" Nicole said shyly.

There was no reaction from Waverly. She just sat on the sofa, her head still lowered, her arms on her thighs, her hands clenched into fists.

"Waves?" Still no reaction.

Nicole bit on her lower lip not knowing what to do now.  
The silence of the house suddenly struck Nicole as a heavy burden on her. Such a situation has never existed between Waverly and her. To be so close and yet so far away.

Without moving Nicole continued speaking.

"You called me. You said you wanted to talk." Nicole's voice was barely audible. She took a small step forward, the car key still in her hands. She was not sure if she should sit down with Waverly or wait until Waverly said something.  
Almost a minute passed in absolute silence. It felt like an eternity.

A gleam of light shining through the window caught Nicole's attention. That could only be Wynonna. 

Only a few moments later, the door was opened rudely and Wynonna stood next to Nicole, followed by Doc. Wynonna looked from Nicole to Waverly and back to Nicole. She tilted her head to the side and seemed to analyze the strange-looking situation.

"Is everything ok with you two?" 

Wynonna had already taken a breath to ask Nicole what she had done to her little sister when she felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Docs. He nodded to the front door and told her to leave the two young women alone.

"You both look like you might need a whiskey. Too bad that this is mine."

Wynonna took a bottle from the coffee table that she left there in the morning. On her way to the door she whispered to Nicole "If you hurt her ... you know!"

As she passed, Wynonna nudged Nicole slightly with her shoulder to emphasize her words. Then she left the house and sat in the car with Doc. For a few seconds the engine was still audible then it was quiet again.

Nicole waited until Docs car was out of sight.

"Okay, listen Waves, YOU called ME to come over because YOU wanted to talk to me. I haven't heard anything from you yet. (So, I have better and more important things to do as standing here and do nothing else as waiting.)"

When there was still no reaction from Waverly, Nicole turned to the door. Over her shoulder she said to Waverly:

"If you ever really want to talk then call me or pass by the Sheriff's Department so I will not have to drive out of here again. For nothing."

The front door opened with a low squeak that almost drowned Waverly's voice.

"Nicole." 

Nicole turned again and entered the living room. Waverly looked up at her, tears in her eyes. Nicole's emotional turmoil didn't make it any easier for her to decide whether she should be mad at Waverly or worried. She sat down at the other end of the sofa and waited for Waverly to continue. She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I need time to think." Waverly whispered.

"W-what do you mean with 'time to think'?" Nicole was confused.

"I mean that we shouldn't meet in the near future."

"You break up with me?"

"No that's not what I meant." Waverly shook her head.

"Hell yeah you do... 'I need time to think' means you don't want to see me or talk to me or spend time with me. 'I need time to think' is always the beginning of a break-up." Nicole took a deep breath. She couldn't believe what she had heard.  
Abruptly and unexpectedly for Waverly Nicole got up and walked to the door.

"Take as much time as you need. And when you're done with thinking think carefully about what you want before coming back to me." With these words Nicole left the house, leaving a weeping Waverly behind.

When Nicole sat into her car she couldn't start right away. She also had begun to cry. She grabbed the steering wheel with both hands so tight that her knuckles went white. Tears ran down her cheeks. Why did Waverly break up with her? They had already survived so much. There shouldn't be nothing they couldn't handle.

Nicole wiped the tears with the back of her hand and started the engine. She turned the car and headed back toward the city. She wasn't the type to drink alcohol senselessly but today seemed to be the right moment to start. And it was not senseless either. The break-up from her girlfriend was quite a good reason to have a drink.

Shortly before she had reached the city suddenly brightly lit spotlights appeared in front of Nicole's car. Another vehicle collided with her police cruiser and then ... nothing more. Darkness surrounded her senses.


	2. Chapter 2

#  Chapter Two

A busy day had ended for Nicole with the ultimate worst talk. Quite unexpectedly and not entirely unterstandable for Nicole, Waverly, her Waverly, broke up with her.

Nicole was aware that in recent times many things hadn't gone quite as they had imagined. She was no longer part of the Black Badge Division, for her own protection. Waverly's DNA test was dropped in the Sheriff's Department but Nicole didn't hand it over to Waverly. When Waverly found the test in Nicole's handbag, Nicole realized that it was a mistake to hold it back. Waverly took the test, turned around and left behind a self-doubting Nicole.  
A few days later, Waverly and Rosita, Doc's girlfriend, enjoyed a day at the spa. The two young women kissed each other between strawberry and lemon flavored water. Waverly hadn't told Nicole about the kiss but the thought of cheating on Nicole was weighing heavily on her mind. And last but not least, while Nicole was in the hospital, bitten by one of the Black Widows, Waverly was confronted with a fact she hadn't expected. Her girlfriend was married with a gorgeous lady doctor and had never told her anything about it.  
But none of that had disturbed them. None of that had had enough power to make them doubt about each other or about their love for each other.

Until this evening.

"Didn't you see her coming? You killed a police officer!"

Nicole still had her eyes closed. Everything felt like she was underwater. She didn't feel her body and the approaching voices were vague.

"She's still alive! Okay! It's all right."

"All right? We shouldn't attract attention here but we failed! What do we do now? With her?"

"We call an ambulance. We cannot let her lie here and die or hope she's found by someone else in a few hours. We are good citizens. It was an accident. So, take your cell phone and call 911."

Nicole hadn't understood everything, actually she was only aware that there was someone who spoke. She didn't perceive the content of the conversation. The voices became quieter again and Nicole didn't know if the persons were moving away from her car or ... Her thoughts were lost in nothing. Silence surrounded her and made her wake up only a few hours later.

***

"Officer Hau.... Nicole. Nice that you are awake again."

Nicole slowly opened her eyes. The room where she was ... all in white ... she was laying in a bed. She blinked a few times and then looked into the face that had spoken to her.

Gray hair, mustache, the rest unshaven ... a familiar face reflected concern for the young woman.

"Sheriff." Nicole took a deep breath. Slowly the memories of the events of the last evening came back. Waverly – flash spotlights – darkness. She sat up in bed.

"Nedley!"

"W-what?" Nicole was confused.

"You should just call me Nedley if we talk privately and nobody else is around. You know that." Sheriff Nedley had become more than her superior at the time Nicole was already in Purgatory. He was more like a father to her. He smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

"This is the facial expression I wanted to see. How do you feel?"

"Uhm...I don't know...headache...and...uhm..." Nicole shook her head slightly. "I'm not sure what happened." Nicole tried to remember what exactly had happened when she was on her way back from the Earp homestead to town.

"You had a car accident and turned our best vehicle into a pile of scrap metal. That's not very pleasing but more important is that my best officer is fine." He smiled at Nicole who noticed that her boss nervously fiddled with his stetson. Nicole had to smile. She knew that Sheriff Nedley liked her and worried about her when necessary or not. But he was not the type of a person who would show it openly. That he was now sitting in front of her, turning his hat in his hands was almost worth a hug. Nicole would needed a hug but from a another person.

"What did you actually do out there? Your shift was over. Didn't you say you wanted to go home?" Nedley put on his fatherly worried face. The area around Purgatory wasn't safe. Strange things happened here. Dangerous things. Death doing things. All the things connected with the Earp curse brought death and destruction to Purgatory. Countless innocent people had already given their lives. And nobody knew when it would be over.  
The residents of the city had chosen to ignore these things and live a simple life, with view to the Rockies and a shitty hockey team.

Nicole didn't want to talk about what had happened at the homestead. She didn't quite understand it herself. She took a deep breath as she remembered the tears in Waverly's eyes when she told her she needed time to think. And Nicole knew that she had reacted completely wrong. She was hurt and surprised and sometimes people react in the wrong way. Waverly didn't deserve that. She had every right to think. Nicole knew that.

"I was on patrol", Nicole replied without looking at Nedley.

"Patrol, huh?" Nedley could imagine where his officer had been and could see from her behavior that something had happened. He knew that if Nicole was willing to talk she would do it.

"Oh, Nicole, there is someone out there who wants to see you. If you feel strong enough ..."

Nicole looked hopefully to the door. Waverly? It could only be Waverly who had heard about the accident and wanted to see her.

"I'm fine."

Nedley got up from his chair and headed for the door. With the doorknob in his hand he turned to Nicole again.

"Take as much time as you need to get well again. I need my officers in the best shape."

A smile crossed Nicole's face. For one thing because she knew that Nedley meant this not only from a professional view of point and second because she couldn't wait to see Waverly.

Nedley opened the door and left the room. Moments later, a young woman entered, pausing at the door. Nicole looked up at her and her smile gave way to a confused expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing but I hate 'notes'  
> I hope you enjoy the FanFic even without annoying comments from me ;-)  
> but you're welcome to tell me your thoughts :-)


	3. Chapter 3

#  Chapter Three

How do you react correctly when your girlfriend breaks up with you? Do you accept it silently or do you try to convince her otherwise?  
Nicole had been so surprised she just left. The only thing she could say was that Waverly should use the time well.

Now she lay in a hospital bed and looked expectantly to the door. She hoped that Waverly would come in but ...

"Hi. Sheriff Nedley said I could come in. I didn't want to disturb you if you are not feeling well."

A young woman had entered the room and stopped at the door. She was about the same age as Nicole, with short black hair. She wore a faded jeans and a shirt. She didn't seem familiar to Nicole.

"I had to look after you and make sure you were okay." The young woman had taken a step closer to Nicole's bed.

"You probably can't remember me." There followed a questioning look. "Obviously not." And then a shy smile.

"I have to apologize to you for this", the woman pointed to the bed, "my brother and I are responsible." She guiltily lowered her eyes.

Only now did Nicole realize that she hadn't said anything yet. She had been looking back and forth between the woman and the door. It hadn't been Waverly who came to visit her. It was a woman she must have met before but couldn't remember.

"I'm fine, just a few scrathes, nothing bad. But...who are you?" Nicole didn't want to be rude but liked to know who she was talking to and she wanted to drown out her upcoming disappointment.

"Oh, excuse me. My name is Eve Campbell." Eve took a step toward the bed and shook hands with Nicole.

"Nicole Haught."

"Nice to meet you, again, even if the circumstances aren't very pleasing."

"You said you and your brother are responsible for that, what did you mean?"

"May I ?" Eve pointed to the chair next to Nicole's bed where Nedley had been sitting a few minutes ago. With a short nod, Nicole allowed the young woman to sit down.

"My brother and I ... we had the accident with you last night and I'm so glad you're fine." Eve lowered her eyes and folded her hands. "We had lost our way and maybe we weren't as attentive as we should have been...and then your car appeared in front of us...but it was already too late."

An unpleasant silence came. Nicole hadn't hurt seriously. But she also knew she was distracted by the events at the homestead. She was not sure if she was to blame for the accident.

"You seem to have survived the accident better than me." Nicole smiled. "Don't worry, I'm going to talk to Sheriff Nedley so you and your brother do not get in trouble."

Nicole wanted to forget the whole day or start it over again. So much had gone wrong ... and she herself had made mistakes that she deeply regretted.

"That's very nice of you but that's not why I'm here. I know that we can not undo the accident but I would offer my help ... our help. If we can do anything for you ..."

"You're not from Purgatory, right ?"

"No, we're not but that doesn't change our intentions."

"Well, so if you want to do me a favor then promise me to be more attentive next time when you're on the road. That would be enough for me."

"Promised." Eve's smile reflected relief. "May I still invite you for coffee after leaving the hospital? I would feel better if ..."

"Sheriff Nedley has given me a few days off, I actually have time for a cup of coffee. But I'd like to get some sleep before we meet at the diner? Around 3 p.m.?" Nicole smiled so that her dimples were clearly visible. Eve smiled back 'That was easier than expected'.

"With pleasure. Then we see each other at the diner. I'm looking forward to it."

Eve left the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Sheriff Nedley was still standing in the hallway talking to one of the doctors. He nodded to her and then turned back to the doctor. Eve went to the elevator. When the doors closed behind her she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She searched the contacts for the name Tremblay and began to write a message.

'Was easier than expected. Will meet her later in the diner. 3 p.m. Come to the motel now. Room?'  
Only a few seconds later her cell phone beeped and signaled that she had received an answer. 'Then the accident had something good. 176.'

When Eve left the hospital it was already 1:30. The stars sparkled in the night sky. Everything seemed so peaceful. Just as it should be. But in the last few hours something had happened that was not planned. The accident had forced them to improvise. They had unwittingly attracted more attention than they liked but thanks to Eve's empathy she had gained the confidence of the Officer in just a few minutes. A first step in the right direction.

On the way to the motel Eve considered how to proceed with the meeting with Officer Haught. She wanted to avoid more surprises. And although this meeting was purely professional she couldn't deny that she was looking forward to it too.

Eve had been well prepared to meet Nicole Haught. She knew that Nicole had come to Purgatory as a freshman. Personally requested by Sheriff Nedley because she was one of the best in her graduating class. As a dutiful and purposeful officer she had taken up her duty but everything was thrown over when she met Waverly Earp. The two fell in love and so Nicole became part of the story of the Earp family. And thus moved her into Eve's focus.  
Nicole had quickly learned how dangerous life can be as a police officer, even in a small town like Purgatory. She was kidnapped and shot and faced things she couldn't have dreamed of imagining. All this didn't intimidate her but confirmed her decision to come to Purgatory. She grew up with her duties and failures spurred her to work harder and get better.

Eve had to admit that she admired Nicole Haught for her perseverance. She was carved from the right wood and could certainly have made a career in another organization. Instead, she was an officer in a small town, perhaps with prospect of the sheriff's post.

All the informations Eve had received about Haught, however, couldn't prepare her for the smile and the friendly expression in her eyes. Behind the ambitious officer and the impeccable-fitting uniform hid just a woman. A woman who knew exactly how she affected other people.

Nicole definitely posed a challenge – in several ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know ... I know ... the chapters aren't long ... but I promised myself to write a FanFic with nearly 100 chapters :-D  
> Nooo, kidding, but Purgatory is a very quiet town, there is not much happening ;-) right?


	4. Chapter 4

#  Chapter Four

At the motel, Eve knocked three times on door number 176 and waited. She heard soft footsteps approach the door before it opened and she could enter.

In the small room it was dark. There was only one small lamp on a table that couldn't light up the whole room by far. Next to the lamp were dozens of documents and photos, personal files from the Sheriff's Department, case files.

"So, you have a date?" A man's voice came from right beside her. Eve hadn't noticed him in the dimly lit room.

"What?" The meeting with Officer Haught was anything but a date. Talking to her at the hospital was just the beginning of Eve's efforts to win the young woman's trust.

"That was just a joke. Do you think this officer is the right person? I mean there are others we can talk to."

"Good question. She was the first we met. If you can say that." Whether the accident was good or bad for their project would first have to turn out. In any case, it was certain that the accident gave them the opportunity to get in touch with one of their target persons. Without it seemed strange.  
"Wynonna Earp is too suspicious. It's almost impossible to talk to her. Waverly Earp, yeah, she would be eligible too."  
Despite the professional background of the invitation to a coffee, Eve also wanted to enjoy the meeting. Officer Haught seemed very nice. Eve was professional enough to separate work and pleasure. But why shouldn't the profession also have its fun side?

"The meeting is at 3? You should go to sleep. We'll talk later about how you will proceed. We can't afford any more mistakes!"  
Without another word he left the room and closed the door behind him.

Eve sat down at the table with the lamp and all the documents. She rested her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. She closed the eyes. She was tired, really tired, and now that she was alone, she had no other wish than to lie down and sleep. She opened her eyes again. Her eyes fell on a photography half hidden by a file. In this photo was a man pictured. He wore a coat and a hat with a cigarette in one hand and a revolver in the other. She pushed the case file aside and released the entire photo. There was a group of people on it. In the background were three young women, including Officer Haught, and another man already known to Eve, Deputy Marshal Xavier Dolls.  
Eve leaned back in her chair. As far as she knew, this group which had been working here for quite some time in the Ghost River Triangle was a committed entity. They trusted each other unconditionally and would come to their aid at any time when danger threatened.  
So how would they react if someone suddenly turned up who might be a danger to them?

Eve got up, went to the bathroom and got ready for bed. She knew her partner was right. Sleep was a good idea. She had to be rested. And the past days had been long and exhausting. The drive to Purgatory had been anything but comfortable. There were hardly any breaks. And once they were forced to refuel they used that time to get out of the car seats for a moment, to stretch and move their tired bodies. Their conversations were always the same. They were always just about their project. They planned what they should do first when they reached Purgatory. Where their priorities should be.  
On the evening of the accident they wanted to see the area around Purgatory. The road to the Earp homestead had been one of their goals.

Eve went to the bed, sat down and reached for her bag which was right next to it. She pulled out her gun, checked it, and then put it in the top drawer of her bedside table. Her life insurance had to be always at hand. Then she set the alarm clock on her cell phone for 6 o'clock. 4 hours of sleep had to suffice.

Eve threw herself on the bed and was surprised how soft it was. She seemed to sink in it.  
In her childhood, she loved to build a pile of pillows and blankets next to her bed. Then she stood on the edge of her bed, closed her eyes, and dropped onto the soft mountain. Likewise, this bed felt right now. A short moment of security. A tiny moment that made her forget that this carefree time of childhood had long passed and given away a life that one wouldn't wish for even his worst enemy.  
What she had already seen in her life, J.K. Rowling may use it to write at least 5 more Harry Potter books. Maybe more. She, Eve, would then be the main character, a student of the House of Ravenclaw.  
Harry Potter? Seriously? You're lying here in a motel bed and wondering if the colors of Ravenclaw, blue and bronze, would suit you? She shook her head and had to smile about herself. She still hadn't lost her humor despite everything. And that was a good thing.

Eve sighed. She had forgotten to turn off the small lamp on the table. She clapped her hands in the hope of being able to turn off the light this way. In no case did she want to get up from this dream of a bed. But still the light of the lamp burned. It even seemed to flicker for a moment as if to say "You have to move your butt if you want me to go out!" With another sigh, Eve climbed out of bed, went to the table and reached for the light switch. Once again her eyes fell on the photo. Would she have enough time to win the trust of Nicole Haught? Or should she try to win over Waverly Earp? In a few hours, Eve would know which of the two she had to choose to put her plan into action.

Eve pressed the small button on the lower part of the lamp. Her room was now almost completely dark. Only the rhythmic color change of the billboard of the motel was to be guessed by the closed curtains of her window. With her eyes closed, she went back to her bed and crawled under the covers. She perceived the faint smell of the detergent. It smelled like... Eve couldn't pinpoint the smell but it wasn't uncomfortable.

No sooner had she put her head on the pillow than she fell asleep. 4 hours of sleep wouldn't be enough for most people. Eve, however, had become accustomed to getting along with little sleep.  
She was fast asleep. Without dreaming. As always. At least she didn't usually remember her dreams.

***

The morning was already dawning when Eve slowly woke up. Her eyes still closed. She wanted to enjoy the feeling of being between awake and dreaming.  
Thanks to the curtains in front of the window, it was still rather dark in her room. She had not slept so well in a long time. Surely it was the bed. Or the fact that they finally arrived in Purgatory. Actually, she didn't care about the reason. Too nice was the feeling of being trapped in this soft, warm blanket.

Eve reached out and opened her eyes slowly. She frowned. Something was wrong here. She leaned on her elbows and began to smile. Her eyes fell on the picture hanging over the bed at the head. Whatever she had dreamed...it had caused her lying in the bed in the wrong direction. Eve couldn't remember that this had ever happened to her before.  
Normally, she slept like a stone and neither did she move in her sleep.  
But when the day starts with a smile it cannot be a bad day, Eve thought and pushed aside the blanket.

As for the morning routine, Eve behaved like a machine. Always the same order, the same pace. Like a clockwork.

Not even 20 minutes later she was freshly showered and dressed on her bed. She would use the time until her meeting with Officer Haught to study all the informations she had about the young woman. Again. And again.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. It didn't surprise her that her partner was also already awake.

Eve opened the door. Surprisingly, he didn't stand empty-handed in front of her.

"Coffee?" He smiled. A rare sight. It was not that he showed no emotions. But mostly he was master of his feelings. But he looked so good when he smiled.

"Caffeine? You're welcome, come in."

He looked around again before entering. Was it just a habit or did he fear that they would be watched? Eve knew that both could be the case. They couldn't be too careful.

He placed the coffee on the table next to the files and then opened the still closed curtain.

"Have you ever thought about this afternoon?"

Eve knew that he always wanted to be well prepared. He absolutely wanted to avoid mistakes or unnecessary surprises.

"I'll start with the accident, apologise to her, and of course blame you." She smiled. But he didn't return the smile. Eve raised her eyrbrows. Did she expect a different reaction?

"Then I'll try to steer the conversation to more general things: life in Purgatory, things that concern her personally, things that are completely irrelevant. She's probably going to ask me questions too, and I'll answer these as we discussed."

"So we stay stick with our story?" There was no time to change the plan in the short term.

"Yeah, even though I still think it's very...special. Do you really think anyone will belive that? Especially Officer Haught? I mean, she's not stupid, she'll see through that for sure."

"Not if you're convincing. Telling tales of lies is your job or at least it was. That shouldn't be a problem for you."

"Thanks for reminding me. If she realizes that I'm lying, we can forget about it."

"If she realizes you're lying we'll have to keep our cards face-up. Especially Dolls will not trust us anymore. But we have to take the risk then."

She had been trained to do just that. She had had the best teachers. Many hours practiced in conversations with her trainers and other students. Sometimes loose, sometimes under high pressure. She knew such situations only too well. And she was sure she would be convincing. Officer Haught might be a good cop but she was an absolute beginner compared to Eve.

"She will not won't notice anything." Eve's voice was firm and determined, leaving no doubt. "We have to be sure before we reveal ourselves, otherwise everything was in vain." They hadn't taken the arduous journey to Purgatory and the dangers involved, to fail here, so close to the finish line.

"What will you do today?" Eve had already half-drunk her coffee and now felt full of energy. Sie wanted to start looking through the files again. Nicole's family background, her time at the academy and everything about her current life here in Purgatory, as far as informations were available in the files. She also had to recall her own story in all its details. Everything had to be perfect.

"I'll take a look around the town, talk to the locals, check on our car. Maybe visit the Sheriff's Department."

Their car. The sheriff had both the patrol car and their vehicle towed into the town after the accident. The damage wasn't serious but everything had to be in order. Sheriff Nedley took these things very seriously. Or it had something to do with one of his people being involved in the accident. To inquire about the car was still a good idea. In addition, one could look around a little in the Sheriff's Department at the same time. The group around Wynonna Earp and Xavier Dolls worked from there too.

"I'll be on my way, then, when I find out anything I'll get in touch with you." He walked toward the door.

"Okay." No sooner had she spoken the word than the door slammed shut behind him.

"Well, then I can go through the files, or I can get me another coffee." The decision fell quickly in favor of a second coffee. When Eve and her partner had been dropped off by a police officer at the motel last night, she had seen a diner nearby. A sign on the front door showed the opening times. The diner had already opened and a fresh brewed coffee would wait for her there. She took her weapon from the drawer of her bedside table, checked it with her eyes trained. Along with the holster, she fastened it to her belt. Her sweater would protect the weapon from prying eyes.  
Before Eve left the room, she collected all the documents and files and stowed them in a lockable suitcase. She pushed the suitcase under her bed. Better safe than sorry.

Now it was time for the second cup of coffee. One last look, then Eve opened the door and stepped outside. She inhaled the fresh morning air. With her eyes closed, Eve forgot for a moment that she was not in Purgatory for pleasure. The walk to the diner would do her good. 'Movement invigorates body and mind!' She clearly heard the scratchy voice of her instructor. He himself had probably not seen any sneakers up close for a long time, but he had always known how to motivate Eve. Even though her body had already reached its limits, her mind had been strong enough to go a bit further. A trait that had earned her a lot of respect at the academy.  
In the diner she wanted to sit by the window and watch the city slowly awake. Maybe she would eat something too.

A quick glance down the street then Eve turned towards the diner.  
A few gray clouds were still hanging in the sky but the rising sun would soon have driven them away. Occasionally birdsong could be heard and in the distance a dog barked. This city really seemed to be at the bottom of the world. Or rather, on the brink of hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> four chapters? enough for today but if you like it ... maybe I continue writing (there are still so many chapters to write up to 100^^)  
> as usual ... feel free to comment - I would like to know you think so far about the characters


	5. Chapter 5

#  Chapter Five

It had been a long night for Nicole. At 3 a.m. she had called for the nurse. She just couldn't fall asleep. Why she couldn't say. The accident ? Waverly ? Probably both. She just couldn't shut her brain off. The sleep aid the nurse had give her made her fall asleep quickly and still seemed to be working now that the sun was already shining cautiously into her room. Nicole blinked, opened her eyes and closed them again. She was actually in a hospital bed. A small part of her had hoped that everything was just a dream.

A noise made her startle. She turned her head towards the door...

"What the ... Wynonna ?"

"Good morning. Your into the habit of taking a break in a hospital. Is it cos of the nice nurses ?" Wynonna frowned and glanced at Nicole.

"I had an..." Nicole tried to justify herself.

"Accident. I know. I'm not here either 'cos the breakfast is so delicious. Especially since they certainly don't offer whiskey here."

Wynonna inched closer to the bed.

"You look tired, slept badly ?"

From time to time Nicole still had the feeling that Wynonna didn't like her. There were moments of closeness between them but these were very rare. Nicole knew it was not her fault. Well, at least she hoped that. Much more she thought that Wynonna just wanted to protect her little sister from all the dangers that life brought with it. And Waverly's feelings for Nicole made her vulnerable.

Wynonna looked at Nicole sharply. When she arrived at the Sheriff's Department 15 minutes ago and Nicole was out of sight, she had asked Nedley what was going on. As Nicole always appeared over-punctual at work it was strange that Wynonna hadn't been greeted by her today. Nedley informed Wynonna about the accident and now she was standing in Nicole's room not even sure why.

Nicole took a deep breath and looked down. If Waverly wasn't here she probably didn't know about the accident yet. Maybe it was better that way. She probably wouldn't care anyway. After all, she had said that she needed time to think. The last thing she would do is visit Nicole in hospital.

"What had happened after Doc and I left ? What did you do ?"

"I didn't do anything ! Waverly broke up with me !" Nicole's voice became louder than intended. Wynonna couln't do anything about Waverly's decision.

"And the accident ? Did you want to ...?" Wynonna couldn't complete the question.

"Did I want what ?" Nicole didn't quite understand what Wynonna wanted to know. And then...

"What ? Are you crazy ? That was an accident! Nothing else." She shook her head at the thought that Wynonna thought she had tried to kill herself. That was just ridiculous. That Waverly broke up with her was hard but Nicole just needed time and some alcohol. Maybe a little more alcohol.

"Okay." Wynonna raised her hands apologetically. "I just wanted to see how you're doing. Apparently better than expected."

"Please, don't tell Waves about this !"

In response Nicole got only a nod from Wynonna who said goodbye with a short "See you".

The perfect start to the day. A conversation with the older sister of your ex-girlfriend. Nicole just wanted one thing : to go home. She flipped the coverlet aside and put her bare feet on the floor. It felt cold. Nicole shivered but she resisted the rising desire to lie back in the warm bed. She got up and went to the cupboard. When she opened it she remembered that only her yesterday's uniform was in it. Bloodstained from the accident.

'It's only for the way home. There you can take a shower, change clothes and drink real coffee' she told herself. She started to change. As she was about to tie her shoes the door to the room opened.

"Officer Haught, are you leaving us ?" A nurse looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm going home now. I feel fine, I'm not in pain and I'm sure I'll recover better in my own bed than here."

The nurse smiled at her. "Sheriff Nedley had already warned us. Of course, leave whenever you want but you could have said so I'd have helped you. So what do you think, you don't want breakfast anymore ?" The questioning look of the nurse made Nicole smile. "No delicious hospital coffee ? Surely that's no worse than the coffee in the Sheriff's Department."

Now Nicole even had to laugh. Couldn't the nurse have come to her room 10 minutes earlier ?

"Yeah, that's quite possible, one more reason to go home."

"I have to fill out some forms which you have to sign before you can go. I'll prepare everything."

"I don't have to wait for a doctor ?"

"Dr. Reed had already told us that you can go whenever you want. Confidentially, Sheriff Nedley wanted you to stay here. I think he was worried about you. Can I still somehow help ?"

"No, thanks. I'm almost done. Should I wait here until you're done with the papers ?"

"Yeah, you can wait here. It only takes a few minutes. I'll be right back." With that the nurse left the room again.

That was typically Nedley. Spending the night in hospital wasn't the worst idea and Nicole knew that too. It was an eventful day that didn't end in the best way. But now Nicole was still looking forward to her own house and her own sofa. And she wasn't alone either. Calamity Jane wouldn't leave her side. This cat could be a beast if she didn't get what she wanted. But in moments when Nicole wasn't feeling well she was her rock. CJ then kept her eye on Nicole and anyone who came to visit was considered a potential threat to Nicole. Nicole couldn't take a single step without being persecuted and protected by CJ.

It took about 10 minutes for all the papers to be filled out and signed by Nicole.

"You don't have to go outside with me. I can find the way. After all, it's not my first time." Nicole smiled.

"But..." The nurse tried to contradict.

"I know the protocol so don't bother, I can stand upright and walk, I'm armed, and I know the way, too. You certainly have more important things to do than guide an officer to the door."

"But..." This time Nicole's smile was enough to quell the protest.

"Fine. Only if you promise me that your next visit here is in the distant future !"

"I think that can be arranged. Have a nice day."

"Thanks, you too."

Nicole had the ability to deal with anyone ... well, almost anyone. That was an advantage for the job. People trusted her and were more talkative in her presence. One reason that made her so valuable to Sheriff Nedley in the short time she was in Purgatory. But also privately it had its advantages. Being new in a foreign city can be intimidating but for Nicole it was more of a challenge she had to master. By now she was a full member of the community.

On the way from the elevator to the door she wondered how to get home now. Her car was certainly in the workshop. Then she had to walk. She stepped outside, closing her eyes and inhaling the fresh morning air. Much better. When she opened her eyes again she looked into a familar face.

"You need a taxi ?" The nurse had told Sheriff Nedley that Nicole was leaving the hospital. Therefore probably the many papers she had to sign. Nedley should have enough time to get to the hospital. At the thought, a smile crossed Nicole's face.

"I didn't call one but if I may drive ..."

"No way !" Nedley looked horrified. She couldn't mean it. "You're either sitting next to me or behind me. It's your decision." Nedley's face didn't look like he was making a joke. But Nicole knew he could stay serious in any situation.

"Wow. Would you arrest me to take me home ?"

"If you leave me no choice. I would prefer the non-violent option." Now the smile that Nicole had been waiting for finally appeared. "Are you finally getting in or do we still have to use these here ?" He tapped a finger in the handcuffs attached to his belt.

"No threats, please. I just want to go home. Do you turn on the sirens ?" Nicole looked with wide grin over the roof of the patrol car to Nedley.

"Kids !" Nedley shook his head and got behind the wheel. He knew that Nicole was just fun. And this trait pleased him.

The drive to Nicole's house was silent. Nicole was pretty tired after the short night and Nedley just wanted to bring her home safely so she could recover there. Everything else could wait until she felt better.

"Here we are." Nedley said as he brought the car to a halt.

Nicole sighed. "Thanks, for everything." She smile at her boss. Her father couldn't have taken better care of her. Nicole got out.

"Nicole."

"Yeah."

"Three days. I don't want to see you back in the Department for three days at the earliest."

"Three ? But...what am I supposed to do at home for so long ? Can I maybe do some paperwork for you ?" Nicole looked pleadingly at Nedley.

"Three days. And not a day less! If you try to negotiate, it will be more instead of less. And now in with you in the house, so I can continue."

"Fine. But you'll miss me!" Nicole smiled and closed the passenger door. She pulled her house key out of her pocket. Only when the door closed again behind Nicole, Nedley go.

"Of couse I will miss you !" Nedley muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

#  Chapter Six

The way to the diner was longer than Eve remembered. The night and especially the accident had probably impaired her perception. But that didn't bother Eve at the moment. The morning was wonderful.  
Gradually the clouds in the sky lessened. Even though the year was slowly but surely coming to an end, with autumn already leaving its small traces everywhere, the sun still had enough power to win the morning fight against the gray monotony. However, that wouldn't be the case for much longer.  
Eve suspected that the winter could come in very quickly here and then brought more than just three snowflakes with it. She had never experienced a real winter. This time of year, it combined bad weather, lots of rain, and a gray cloud cover that left everyone with a depression that was difficult to recover in the following spring.  
Winter would look different here in Purgatory. A lot of snow and a bright blue sky. A winter paradise if you weren't deterred by the low temperatures.  
At the thought of a snowball fight Eve had to smile.  
A man walking with his dog and heading straight for Eve nodded politely and walked past her.  
With all the things she had read about this city, she had expected people to be more intimidated. But nothing suggested that strange things were going on here.

She hadn't noticed that she had gone past the diner, lost in thoughts. She stopped at the next intersection and looked around.

"It has to be here somewhere," Eve whispered to herself, running her hand over her chin.

"Can I help you ?" The friendly voice that unexpectedly offered her help belonged to a familiar face.

"Uhm, yeah. I know here has to be a diner somewhere, but ..."

"If you turn around and take a few steps back where you came from, you stand straight in front of it." Eve followed with her eyes the outstretched arm of her counterpart.

"I actually went past it ?" Eve shook her head. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for that, that can happen when you think about other things and no longer pay attention to where you go, especially if you're unfamiliar with the city. You're not from here, right ?"

"Is that so obvious ?"

"Your way of dressing yourself, your accent. Yeah, it is. Besides that Purgatory isn't that big. Everyone knows everyone here. And since I grew up in this town I'm recognize transients immediately." That smile, the bright eyes ... even more impressive than the photos Eve had seen.

"Well, you're right. I'm going to have to work a little bit on my dress style." Eve returned Waverly Earp's smile and shook her hand.

"Eve Campbell."

"Waverly Earp." A firm handshake for such a petite person, Eve noted.

"May I thank you for your help with a coffee ?" Eve didn't want to miss the opportunity to have a longer talk with the young Earp.

"Unfortunately, I'm on my way to work but if you feel the craving for visiting a bar that smells of wood polish, stale beer, and cold cigarette smoke ... Shorty's is right over there. Your first beer would be on me as a welcome gift." Waverly Earp never broke eye contact. And Eve was about to follow the invitation immediately.

"That may sound tempting, except perhaps for the smell of beer and cigarettes. You should think a bit more about your advertising strategy."

The Shorty's. This bar used to belong to Robert Simons. But of all he was just called Shorty. Hence the name of the bar "Shorty's Saloon". After Robert's death, the owner changed several times. First, Gus McCready took over the business. A financially above-average offer by a certain Bobo Del Rey led to the sale of the bar. Meanwhile, it's owned by John Henry who was probably also his best customer. Maybe apart from Wynonna Earp.

"To be honest, we've had no trouble getting enough customers and our unlimited supply of beer and whiskey lure enough guests into the bar."

'Oh, it's certainly not just the alcohol that lures the city's men into Shorty's !'

"And what do you think ?" With each second that Eve saw in the bright eyes of the young Earp, she became more and more aware of why Nicole Haught chose her.

"You really want to know what I think ?" Of course, Eve had no intention of sharing her thoughts. That would have been extremely inappropriate at this point.

"Yeah. Will you come over ? I could make a small card and reserve a chair right at the counter for you."

"Oh, yeah, that sounds like a good idea, and I'm going to put on a red nose and a clown hat so that not everyone immediately recognizes by my clothes that I'm not from here."

Both women now clearly saw this scene in their mind's eye and had to laugh.

"I'll think about it. But at the moment it's too early for alcohol and I think my breakfast is calling for me too. Maybe tonight ?"

In the afternoon, Nicole Haught – in the evening, Waverly Earp ... if she were to meet Wynonna Earp at Shorty's, Eve would have done all in one day for what she and her partner had planned several days or even weeks. She was better at her job than she had thought. And actually they shouldn't lose any time. Life was at stake.

"The door is always open." Waverly turned and headed for Shorty's. Eve couldn't help but see her just afterwards. Waverly Earp wore tight blue jeans and a white cropped shirt. Over her shoulders she had placed a cloth to protect them from the cold morning air.

'Don't stare like that!' Eve shook her head slightly. This city revealed many challenges.

Once across the street, Waverly turned once more to Eve. "See you !" Waverly didn't pronounce the words aloud but merely formed them with her lips, still that charming smile on her face. Eve raised a hand and waved to her as a sign that she understood her.

"Coffee, I really need a coffee right now." Eve turned and collided with the man who had gone for a walk with his dog.

"Excuse me ... I'm ... I have ... you ... and your dog ..." Eve stuttered.

"Nothing happens, the view in this town can sometimes distract you a bit." The man winked at Eve and walked on.

"Indeed." Eve whispered and headed for the diner. She opened the door and found a seat at the window. Before Eve sat down she checked to see if her sweater still hid her weapon. Then she sat down on the chair right by the window. The sun was shinning directly in her face and the warmth was fantastic. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth on her cheeks.

"Can I bring you something ?"

Eve hadn't noticed that the waitress had come to her table. She kept her eyes closed and took a deep breath.

"Time."

"Time ? Hm, I have to ask the chef if we have any in stock. Is there anything else ?"

Even with her eyes closed, Eve could tell by the voice that the waitress was smiling.

"Coffee would be great." And after a short break, Eve added. "Is not busy this morning."

"Give the town about an hour to wake up, the clocks tick a little differently here, you know. But that's the charm of this city, and sometimes it attracts strangers here."

"I like that."

The waitress had stepped behind the counter and opened the door to the kitchen.

"Danny, do we have some 'time' left ?"

Eve could only vaguely hear a voice from the kitchen and then the laughter of the waitress.

"It's alright, you don't have to look." She closed the kitchen door again. "Looks like you have to give up on time but I could offer you breakfast if you want."

Eve laughed. "No thanks, first of all coffee."

~~~

'Honey, you didn't touch your breakfast at all. So you want to go to school ?' - 'Mooom, I'm not hungry and I'm already too late.' - 'Without breakfast you don't go out of the house ! Sit down and eat! Your bus will only leave in 10 minutes. Enough time to eat something. How many times should I tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day ?' 

~~~

Sometimes Eve's Mom could be overprotective. But as the only daughter Eve had no choice but to endure it. After all, her mom just meant well with her. And to be honest, Eve also enjoyed being cared for that way.

"Your coffee. If you need anything just let me know." Eve looked the young woman straight in the eyes and smiled. Even in this face she could recognize friendliness and carefreeness. There was no indication that she was afraid or facing any direct danger.

Could it really be that all the inhabitants of Purgatory had no idea what was going on ? Or did they know it and simply ignored it ? But could you ignore such a thing at all ? Day in, day out, working, knowing it might be the last day. How could you live like that ? What was the meaning of such a life ?

Eve took a sip of coffee and looked out the window again. She would sit here for some time, enjoing the sun and the coffee. There was still plenty of time until 3 p.m. And the meeting with Officer Haught. She decided to just talk to her. She knew what she wanted to achieve and what her partner expected of her. And if Officer Haught wasn't the right person ... Waverly Earp was a nice alternative to the officer.

Beep. An incoming message in her cell phone brought her out of her thoughts back to the diner. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and looked at the display. Tremblay. She wondered if the message was more important than her coffee. Grinning, she picked up her cup and ... beep. A second message. Well, then just read. She opened the message and began to read.


	7. Chapter 7

#  Chapter Seven

The door to Shorty's opened squeakily. Waverly stood at the top of the hall and looked around. She couldn't remember that she had ever been here so early in the morning. Shorty's would open in a few hours. But she would surely find enough work to do. If necessary, she would start to polish each glass individually and then return it to its place.  
Slowly she walked down the three steps and toward the counter. She removed the cloth from her shoulders and laid it on one of the barstools next to her. Waverly sighed.

"What am I starting with ?"

"Waverly ?" The young Earp turned around, startled. She hadn't expected that someone would be in Shorty's at this time.

"Rosita ? What are you doing here ?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I've never seen you here so early in the morning." Rosita smiled at her and walked around the counter to Waverly. Waverly searched for the right words.

"I thought I could clean it up from scratch and check inventory, see if we need to order anything." She avoided looking at Rosita. She took her cloth off the stool and walked pass Rosita behind the counter. With raised eyebrows, Rosita watched as Waverly slid her flat hand across the wooden surface in search of places to clean.

"You will not find anything." Waverly didn't seem to hear her, or rather, she ignored Rosita.

"Waves ! You're not here to clean. What's up ?" Rosita tried to get in the way of Waverly. However, without getting too close to her. The kiss between them which had led to the abrupt end of their spa day still stood between them.

"I didn't have a special good night, it's probably the full moon that makes me restlessly sleep."

"Full moon, huh ? What about your personal bodyguard ? Couldn't she protect you or was she the cause of the lack of sleep last night ?" Rosita had no idea how right and wrong her assumption was. Yes, Nicole was the reason for Waverly's early appearance at Shorty's this morning. But not because she had kept her from sleeping but because she wasn't there at all. With her. In her bed.

"Waverly ?" Rosita sensed that she had hit the mark with her question. But because of the still tense situation between them she wasn't sure if she was the right person for this conversation.

"It's all right. I just slept badly and thought that I could use the time here wisely, whatever, here's always something to do. And you ? Why are you here already ?" Waverly tried to distract Rosita but she knew that Rosita would only answer the question so as not press Waverly further.

"I always have a lot to do here too, you know. Mixing goodies for our dragon." She winked at Waverly and turned to the door to the basement. Waverly had obviously decided she didn't want to talk about it. Rosita didn't take it personally that Waverly didn't want to confide in her.

"So if you think I didn't clean up yesterday ... don't let that stop you from cleaning everything again. Doc will be happy to have such diligent staff." Rosita pointed her index finger at the wooden door. "I'll go downstairs again but you can always bother me if you ... need a little break." Rosita nodded to Waverly, opened the door to the basement and closed it behind her. She had no idea if this would ever be easier between her and Waverly again. Especially since the kiss wasn't the only secret that the two women shared. At least she thought.

Waverly was alone again. She knew there was nothing to clean. Rosita worked very conscientiously. Before everything was clean and back in place she wouldn't leave Shorty's after her shift or start anything else. Waverly took one of the whiskey bottles off the shelf, opened it and filled the golden liquid into a glass.

"You already know what time we have, babygirl ? But if the whiskey is for me ... thank you."

"Wynonna ! No, that's for me." Waverly took a second glass and placed it next to the first one. "But I have nothing against good company." Rosita once told Waverly that they put cherries in the drinks so you don't have to drink alone. Well, toda she wasn't alone. Instead of reaching for the whiskey bottle, Waverly filled Wynonna's glass with water. Wynonna watched her sister with a disgusted expression. "Unfortunately, I cannot give you whiskey, you know ... the new heir and all." She nodded toward Wynonna's belly.  
"Very considerate of you, babygirl. But right now I would kill for glass of whiskey. Can I at least smell at the bottle ?" Wynonna looked at Waverly with big pleading eyes. Waverly knew that look too well and ignored it. With her left hand she pushed the whiskey bottle further away from Wynonna. The look Waverly now earned from her older sister was anything but elated. She looked more like a revenant before she sent him back to hell. However, this look didn't change the content of her glass. Wynonna was beaten.

"And what do we trigger ? On the newly won freedom ?" Wynonna held up her glass and looked at her sister. Waverly picked up her glass and replied "To the family." And without waiting for a reaction from her older sister, she drank the whiskey all at once. The liquid burned in her throat and she grimaced. Wynonna had to smile. She knew that Waverly didn't like whiskey. She was all the more astonished when Waverly refilled her glass. Eyebrows raised, she watched Waverly emptying it in one go and reaching for the bottle again.

"That's enough. The day has just begun and you are not me !"

"I know that too." Waverly turned her eyes to peacemaker hanging on Wynonna's belt and nodded in his direction. "Whiskey is not the only thing I cannot handle as well as you." She glanced toward the whiskey botte, wondering if she could snatch it from Wynonna. "Why are you here ?"

Wynonna smiled. What two glasses of whiskey could do to her little sister. Amazing. In Waverly's eyes she could now recognize defiance and bellicosity, and knew that if there was a battle of words between them, she would lose. This time, however, not because of bad reasoning but simply because Waverly wouldn't let her win on principle right now. But losing wouldn't be new for Wynonna. Not in this case.

"I was just at home and wanted to look after you but you weren't there. So far there are not too many places to find you. Shorty's was my first choise."

"Oh, Miss Earp talked to Officer Haught. Did she cry out on you ? How unfair I am ? That she has no idea what's going on ? That it's sooo surprising ?!"

"You should not forget to breath, babygirl. And 'yes', we talked, but 'no', she didn't cry out. She didn't say much in general. I'm your sister what could she have told me. Besides, I'm not interfering with you two that's your business."

Wynonna was actually trying to stay neutral about her sister's love life. Which didn't mean that she didn't have an opinion about the respective partner Waverly's. Champ – oh yeah, the rodeo clown. He was well below Waverly's level, and yet the relationship had endured several times. Waverly said it was because the selection of potential partners in Purgatory was manageable. But Wynonna knew that her sister saw in him first and foremost and support and less love. In his own way he had loved Waverly, too, but he was not the right one.

It was different with Nicole. She probably still loves Waverly wholeheartedly. Wynonna took some time to understand that. Her little sister was suddenly together with another woman - and happy. But it didn't really matter to Wynonna who Waverly was with. For her, there was only one thing that mattered : Was Waverly happy and treated well ? Despite all skepticism towards Nicole Haught, Wynonna had to admit after some time that Waverly couldn't have met a better person. Nicole was the exact opposite of Champ. Not only did she love the younger Earp more than anything, and she showed it openly. She was intellectually equal to her. Disputes could last for hours without having a winner in the end. Or just two. And as a capable cop she provided Waverly with the utmost protection Wynonna could wish for her sister. Even if Waverly didn't need any protection. She was able to defend herself well. There was nothing wrong with Nicole. By now Wynonna even liked her.

Waverly laughted. "So, you did not interfere with me ? I saw you nudging Nicole and whispering something to her, last night, I mean. And the way I know you it was nothing nice!"

"It was definitely nicer than what you told her." Wynonna had gone one step too far and she knew that too. She already saw the tears in Waverly's eyes and immediately regretted what she had said.

"I'm sorry, Waves. I didn't want to ..."

Waverly sank her face into her hands, resting her elbows on the counter and began to cry.  
As the first tear dipped of Waverly's chin on the counter, Wynonna reached for Waverly's forearm. She hoped that body contact would be enough to reassure her sister. But it only made things worse. Waverly took a step backwards, pulling away from Wynonna.

Waverly now painly saw Nicole coming into Shorty's on her first day in Purgatory, leaning against the door frame as if it were a matter of course. She wore her police uniform and held her Stetson in her hands. Waverly's shirt was completely wet thanks to a broken tap. By trying to take off her shirt, her hair somehow got stuck. Nicole came to her aid. The first but not the last time. Nicole stood right in front of her. She smiled at her, ran her tongue over her lips, looked at her with her big brown eyes. Had Waverly already known what she knew today, she probably wouldn't have let Nicole go that way. And she certainly wouldn't have commented on her 'relationship with a boy man'.

"Babygirl. Hey." Wynonna was just not good at things like that. "I ... I don't know how to help you." With a few quick steps, Wynonna walked around the counter and put her arm around the trembling shoulders of her little sister. Waverly gratefully accepted the embrace, turned to Wynonna and rested her head on her shoulder. Two protective arms wrapped around the young Earp, who calmed down slowly.

In the back of the bar opened the wooden door, behind which Rosita had disappeared only a few minutes before. The blackhaired bartender had heard noises and wanted to see if Waverly needed help. Her eyes fell on the two Earp sisters. When Wynonna noticed Rosita and their eyes met, Rosita decided to better get back to work. For one thing, because she knew Waverly was in good hands. For another, because she was a bit afraid of Wynonna. After Wynonna learned that Rosita wasn't only a sexy mixologist but was also one of the unloved red-eyed revenants, Wynonna's distrust of Rosita became even greater that it already was.

Slowly Waverly's breath slowed and the sob had stopped. Wynonna pushed her a bid away.

"Better ?" Wynonna knew a hug wouldn't really help. But for a start it was enough to calm Waverly.

"Do you regret it ?"

"What ? No ! No, I don't. It was the right decision. But ..." Waverly dropped back into Wynonna's arms.

"You miss her, right ? It's not been 24 hours since ..."

"It was right, it ..." Waverly said softly, more to herself than to Wynonna.

"I understand you." Wynonna had no idea what was going on in her sister's head. She didn't know why she had broke up with Nicole. The two were made for each other. And Wynonna had gotten used to seeing the redhead by her sister's side. And in the fight against the Revenants she could use every hand.

Wynonna couldn't imagine that they would go their separate ways in the future. But no matter how Waverly should decide, Wynonna would be there for her. Nothing was more important than Waverly.

She was her sister ! No matter what result the DNA test had brought. No drop of Earp blood could have made her her sister any more than the emotional connection had already done.


	8. Chapter 8

#  Chapter Eight

As normal, Nicole was greeted at the door by Calamity Jane. And thus began the animal ritual. First, Calamity Jane snuck between Nicole's legs. She ran her head along the pants. Then the shoes were sniffed. Finally, it had to be checked where Nicole had been. Then came the verbal greeting. In addition, Calamity Jane stood in front of Nicole, raised her tail and muffled in a tone that reminded more of a squeak duck than a cat.  
This ritual was only declared finished when Nicole knelt down next to Calamity Jane, stroking her head, then crossed over her back. Calamity Jane threw herself on the floor with relish so that her belly also could enjoy the petting.  
Calamity Jane was a golden-coloured Persian cat. Stubborn and spoiled and definitely the mistress of the house ... well, at least she thought she was in charge. She dictated where Nicole was allowed to sit on the couch, what was on TV and if she didn't like something she let Nicole know it loud.

But now ... there was no sign of her animal roommate.

"CJ ?" A glance from Nicole into her living room was enough to give an idea why Calamity Jane didn't show up.

"Calamity Jane ! What the hell ... I was only gone one night !"

Nicole found herself using the same tactics of many parents to let their children know they're in real trouble. She used CJ's full name. Not that that would have used anything but ...

Calamity Jane had obviously been bored last night. The white and yellow sofa cushions were spread throughout the apartment. Nicole's shoes, usually neatly tidied up under the wardrobe, had also served CJ as a toy like Nicole's climbing gear. The ceramic Buddha was no longer in its place on the shelf but lay in front of it and a small piece had broken off at the head. The floor lamp that usually stood in one of the corners had joined the pillows on the floor. It looked as if CJ had celebrated a big party and just forgot to clean up. There had never been such a mess in Nicole's apartment. Even when she moved in it had been neater.

"CJ !"

A quiet purring came from the kitchen. Nicole turned her head to the right and there she stood, the self-proclaimed queen of the Haughtian kingdom. She looked at Nicole as if she didn't know why Nicole so annoyed her.

"I can't leave you alone for one day, Jane, and it looks like a horde of revenants tramping through my apartment looking for Wynonna."

"Meow."

"That's all you ahve to say? Seriously? And who needs to clean up now?"

Nicole bent down, picked up one of the pillows and threw it on the sofa.

"Do you want to tell me something else ?"

Calamity Jane wasn't a big help by cleaning up. She sat on the coffee table and watched as Nicole gradually returned everything to its original place. The last thing was the Buddha's turn. Carefully, she picked him up and put him and the broken piece on the desk. In one of the drawers she found a glue. Nicole hoped that the glued spot wasn't too obvious. In order to protect the Buddha from further damage by wild predators, he got another, safer place in another shelf.

After work Nicole sat down on the sofa and put her legs up. Only now did she realize how exhausted she was. Her Head and back ached and she was a bit dizzy after the cleanup. As if to apoligise, CJ jumped from the coffee table to the sofa, climbed on Nicole's legs then lay down on her stomach. The purring and warmth of her pet which had been a monster a few hous ago, now gave Nicole the feeling of security and calm. She was at home. She ran a hand over the soft fur. In response came a quiet muzzling, followed by the purring again.

That was the other side of Calamity Jane. Her sense of when Nicole was not feeling well and needed someone to help her was gold. Talking to Calamity Jane was usually one-sided but in fact Nicole needed only her presence, her warmth, to forget about the rest of the world around her.

Like now.

Nicole closed her eyes and fall asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

#  Chapter Nine

By and large, Eve liked Purgatory. The people were extremely friendly and the coffee tasted better than in any cafe in the big city she had ever drank. Purgatory could have been the perfect place to start a family. If there hadn't been the case with the Revenants.  
Eve was still young and hadn't thought about an own family yet. This thought came to her here. So far her focus has been on her professional career.  
Wynonna Earp and her team certainly did their best but you couldn't be really safe in this little town until the Earp Curse was broken. If at all possible.  
In the documents of the Black Badge Division many different statements were noted. Some spoke of more than 100 revenants, others about only a handful. The exact number only Wynonna would know. If any. Or maybe Waverly Earp. She had spent many years studying the history of her family. In her research on Wyatt Earp and all subsequent heirs she came across newspaper clippings on all important events from the respective epochs. Shootings, openings of new railway lines, bank robberies ... with and without photos. Everything meticulously filed and sorted by time. Presumably she had the largest collection of informations on Wyatt Earp. Her notes were certainly even better than those the BBD. However, nobody would admit that. Maybe Eve would quietly direct the conversation to Wyatt Earp tonight. If Waverly could talk about something she knew and felt comfortable with, it would be easier to win her trust. One or two drinks would certainly help. Maybe Waverly was proud to call herself an Earp and had no problem talking to a stranger about her great-great-grandfather. Eve would then match the information obtained with her documents. Wynonna could only be the heir for a year or two. How much could you achieve in such a short time ? In addition, the Ghost River Triangle also attracted other supernatural appearances. If the team around Wynonna had to take of that too, they really had a lot to do.

Message 1 :  
'The car will be roadworthy in 1 to 2 days. Until then, we should have contacted one of our target persons. Don't lose time.'

1 to 2 days. Eve chuckled, thinking that with luck she might have talked to all Earps and Officer Haught today. Maybe everything went faster than they had hoped.

Message 2 :  
'Drink your coffee faster. Meeting in front of the garage. Now.'

Always this hustle and bustle. Eve already saw herself, died at age of 35 years of a heart attack. Cause : job stress.  
'If I am that old !' Eve knew that she was nowhere safe at the moment. Especially not here in Purgatory. And yet she stayed here, with her partner. And they didn't want to be anywhere else either. They weren't allowed to be anywhere else. Dangers were part of her job. And Eve had never spared them either. Afraid to die ... yeah, she was scared. But she was also willing to sacrifice her life for that of innocent. That is how she was raised. That was how she was trained.  
But this mission was different than any other before. She was here of her own free will. There was no official order.  
Doing something because you decided it yourself because you knew you had to do it, because it was right, is probably the biggest motivation that can exist. On the other hand, Eve knew that her partner would be her only support. There was no other backup.  
Eve put her cell phone back in her pocket, got up and went to the counter.

"Keep the change." She put a few bills on the counter and smiled at the waitress.

"That's too much, even if I deduct the earned tip, it's still too much." She tilted her head slightly to one side, waiting for a reply from Eve.

"Okay ... uhm, if you make me a Cappuccino-to-go, would it be done with it ?"

The waitress turned around without a word, and the next thing Eve heard was the coffee machine and shortly thereafter she was standing in front of the diner holding a cup of hot cappuccino in her hand.

Eve knew she shouldn't get used to such mornings. This was just a snapshot. Soon, a lot would change. And she couldn't say what the end would look like. She just hoped she would get out of it alive. Ideally she and her partner.

Eve looked first to the right, then to the left. Now she realized that she had no idea which way the garage was. She could now choose one of the two directions, wander through the city for some time, then ignore her partner's annoyed-sounding message and go back to the diner. However, he wouldn't find that funny.

She decided to avoid a possible argument with her partner. She turned and opened the door of the diner. Fortunately, the waitress was standing at a table near the door. Eve waited for the two women to make eye contact and then asked with a smile :

"I assume that there is only one garage in Purgatory, in which direction do I have to ...?"

"Right down the street." The young woman pointed in the appropriate direction to make sure that Eve also meant the same right. "There's a general store on the left, at the next crossroads you have to turn right again and then just walk down the street, then you come straight to the garage."

"Thanks, I think I can remember that." Eve chuckled and as a farewell she thanked again with a smile and closed the door of the diner.  
'Right, okay, let's go' thought Eve.  
After another sip of the delicious cappuccino, she started to move.

Purgatory was far away. It took about 90 minutes to get to the next bigger city. In good weather. In modern times, one might think that 90 minutes driving time wouldn't be much, meaning nothing. For Purgatory, it meant the world. In some places in the city, time seemed to have stopped. The owners of shops and bars played with the memories of old Western cities. Old wooden entrance areas, lettering surrounded by revolvers and other items that were typical of the Wild West should invite people to come in. And the design and decoration of some homes also gave the impression of being able to tell many stories about past times and former owners.

The new bank building was more in line with the standards of the big city. A large window front reflected the morning sun and dazzled Eve. Nevertheless, she didn't miss the countless surveillance cameras and the security guard at the entrance. Since she didn't intend to rob the bank which was just another impression on her way through the city.

Again and again she met people who nodded friendly or tipped their hat to wish her a good morning.

~~~

"Thanks for the coffee." Eve had seen from afar that her partner was impatiently waiting for her in front of the garage. Now that she was standing right in front of him, she wished she had chose left at the diner instead of going to the right.

"Sorry. Empty." Eve crushed the paper cup and threw it in one of the big garbage cans in front of the garage.

"So, 1 to 2 days, then the car is repaired again, and then ?"

"1 to 2 days is more than enough to make the first contact, with one of them. Then we have to see how it goes on. I know we have planned with a bigger window but the sooner we finish this, the better and safer for us."

"But we aren't concerned here, you know that." Eve knew her partner was right. "Not only I will meet with Officer Haught today, but also with Waverly Earp. She's invited me to drop in at Shorty's." Eve didn't expect too much recognition. After all, her chance meeting with the young Earp had been nothing more than coincidence.

"That's good. Wynonna is definitely up there as well and while you talk to the Earp sisters, I'll try my luck with John Henry. But we shouldn't talk about it here."

"So that means back to the motel ?" Eve's disappointment was obvious. She was far too curious to know more about the city and the people who lived here than she wanted to go back to a dark motel room.

"No. As for the conversation with Officer Haught, I absolutely trust you. It's not your first mission, and it's not your first conversation with a suspect or witness or whatever Haught may be. Then later on Shorty's maybe I'll be there already."

The fact that he didn't want to talk about her approach was almost a miracle. He was a control freak, had to plan everything in advance and discuss it carefully. Just don't leave it to chance. But how do you plan a conversation with a person like Officer Nicole Haught ? A look, a smile, a careless word and the conversation would take another direction. Eve had never done anything like that but she had never met a woman like this before.

"What will you do in the meantime ?"

"There was something about a trailor park in our records, just out of town. So I think I'll take a look around there."

"Alone ? Shouldn't I come with you ?"

It wasn't like he needed her help. Eve knew that, too. Her partner completed his education at the Police Academy with honors. Later followed training in several martial arts, with and without additional weapon. He was an excellent shooter. Probably there was no weapon he couldn't handle. Eve wouldn't have been surprised if he had stashed more weapons than socks in his sock drawer. When Eve was assigned to him, she had no idea what their partnership might look like. By now, even though it was hard to believe, they had already become friends. They entrusted themselves to their lives. And they knew that their lives in the other's hands were safe too. If that wasn't the case, Eve would be alone here in Purgatory. Because she had no one else, except him.

"I have enough provisions with me, thank you." He put his right hand on his jacket, exactly where he usually wore his weapon. He glanced around to make sure that they weren't being watched.

"How about you get a little more familiar with the city before you meet Officer Haught ? See you later in the bar."

He didn't give Eve time to object. Both went away in different directions. She knew that nothing would happen to him. She hoped it. Eve turned around. She looked after her partner. He walked with a determined step, rhythmically and without hesitation. His upright posture told her he wasn't worried.

Eve appriciated that he always gave her the feeling of having everything under control. He was barely two years older than her. To say he was like a father figure to her sounded strange. Maybe he was like a big brother who would protect his little sister at any cost. Yeah, that's what he was. Her older brother.


	10. Chapter 10

#  Chapter 10

Laughter is the best medicine ... at least that's what they say. But sleep shouldn't be neglected in this context either. After a tiring night shift, every minute of sleep was golden.  
Unless you had to serve as a sleeping place for a restless pet at the same time.  
Calamity Jane let Nicole sleep for about an hour. Then she became increasingly restless. Finally, she started to mew and trample Nicole's stomach.

"CJ." Asleep Nicole pushed her cat aside with one hand. But it didn't help. Calamity Jane jumped on the back of the sofa and then back onto Nicole's thigh.

"CJ !" Nicole's voice sounded much wiser but also annoyed. Calamity Jane didn't seem to mind. After a short muzzle, she made her way from Nicole's legs over her stomach to her chest. There she stretched and buried the claws of her front paws in Nicole's left breast.

"CJ !" Nicole was awake now. She grabbed her little nuisance with both hands and put her down on the floor beside the couch a little roughly.

"Sometime I think being scratched is not all that bad but certainly not from you." Nicole shook her head over what she had just said. Luckily nobody else had heard that.

Nicole sat up and looked at her cell phone. It was almost 1:30. She had another hour and a half to meet the young woman from the hospital. What was her name again ? Eve. Right.  
Nicole took a deep breath, pulled the blanket from her legs and was about to get up when a not-so-happy Calamity Jane jumped back on the sofa.

"You're probably hungry, don't you think you can do your own food too ? After last night's action, I should cut your breakfast by half." She stuck her tongue out at CJ as if that was going to be of use. Calamity Jane began to purr, as if Nicole had just told her she was proud of her and her creativity in transforming Nicole's home. Nicole just loved this cat too much for her to be angry. She started scratching the little tiger behind it ears, knowing that she would spend the next minutes switching from one ear to the other. Until CJ had enough of it and finally wanted to be fed.

Calamity Jane nudged Nicole's hand with her nose and jumped to the floor. With raised tail, she went towards the kitchen. There she sat in front of the fridge and began to moan. She knew exactly how to get what she wanted.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm getting up. What is it to be today ? Fish ? Poultry ? The can opener so you can choose your own food ?" Nicole got up and followed the cat into the kitchen. She stopped beside her, looked down at her and waited for an answer. CJ stood on her hind legs and put her forepaws against the refrigerator door.

"Okay, good decision. I also like fish." Nicole took one of the cans of cat food out of the cupboard and filled the food bowl about halfway through. Immediately, CJ lunged at her food as if she hadn't been fed for days. Nicole could hear just how greedy CJ plunged on the food and devoured it.

'Poor cat' thought Nicole. 'one could almost think that nobody likes you or cares about you.'

"CJ. Not so fast. You'll just hiccup if you eat so fast !" Nicole knew that Calamity Jane didn't care at the moment. It almost seemed like CJ was worried that Nicole would eat some of her meal. It wouldn't be long before the bowl was empty. But after the meal there was always a long digestive sleep. As usual.

Nicole put the can back in the cupboard and refilled fresh water for CJ. Now she would have enough time to take care of herself. A shower was just right now. Refreshing, invigorating ... and maybe the strange feeling that she had been feeling in her stomach since yesterday would disappear. She didn't know exactly what it was. But it didn't feel good.

Nicole went upstairs to her bedroom. She picked a few clothes out of the closet, which she later wanted to wear in the diner. Nothing unusual. A light blue jeans, a black and white striped shirt, her sport shoes. It should be comfortable. Then she disappeared in the bathroom. Cold water to wake up properly or hot water to relax and forget about yesterday ? That was a tough question. Nicole opted for cold water. Heat would not only bring relaxation but also fatigue. And since she was planning to go out, fatigue was the last thing she needed now.

She slowly undressed and threw her uniform which she had been wearing since yesterday, with the exception of the night in the hospital, into the hamper. She would wash later. She got in the shower, opened the faucet and then stood under the lukewarm water. Nicole enjoyed how the water ran from her neck down to her back. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back and let the water run over her head. She raised both arms and ran her hands over her face, then over her hair and then put them onto her neck. After a deep breath she reached for the shower gel and began to soap herself. The pleasant scent of pomegranate rose in her nose. She loved that smell. Afterwards she washed her hair with her coconut shampoo. Slowly it smelled in the bathroom like a tropical bar. A grin crossed her face. There was nothing like a shower to rekindle the spirits.   
When all the foam was washed by both her body and her hair, she slowly turned down the temperature of the water. She got goose bumps all over her body but she still didn't want to leave the shower. 'Just a moment,' she thought to herself. She started quietly counting from 10 backwards, then turned off the water. She got out of the shower, pulled a soft towel off the shelf and wrapped it around her wet body. Then she took one of the smaller towels and dried her hair before hiding it in a towelturban. She still had goose bumps but already felt much fresher.  
Nicole turned to the small mirror above the sink, wiping it clean with one hand. Due to the high humidity in the bathroom it was steamed by water vapor. Now she could recognize herself clearly. She looked tired and exhausted despite the cold water shower. A dark blue hematoma covered her left shoulder. Caused by the safety belt she had thankfully put on. She had suffered a few small injuries on her face from glass splinters of the windshield. All in all, no serious but painful injuries. The scratches would be gone in a few days. The bruise on her shoulder would surely be felt for some time, remaining her of the accident. And everything else that happened that day.

"Then I'll have to get another shirt, you don't have to be seen right away." With the fingers of her right hand she stroke the hematoma. It was a bit painful but Nicole was tough. She was quite good in dealing with pain. Nobody would notice anything.

Barefooted she went back to her bedroom and took another shirt out of the closet. Solid colors, dark blue. She sat down on her bed and began to dress slowly. The shower had helped dispel the fatigue from her limbs, but now she realized that her whole body was aching to move. Maybe it was a good idea of Nedley to give her 3 days off. She would need them to get back into working condition.

The time flew by. It was now 2:11. Slowly she should finish, so a not to be late in the diner.

"Meow." Apparently, Calamity Jane had fnished her afternoon nap. She walked into Nicole's bedroom as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Get out of here. You know the bedroom is taboo." Nicole's voice had the right volume to scare CJ so that she turned on the spot and disappeared around the corner. Nicole had to laugh. CJ tried again and again. But this one room only belonged to Nicole. And until last evening Waverly too.

Waverly ... tears came in Nicole's eyes. She really didn't want to think about that now.  
Waverly ... she had felt comfortable in Nicole's bedroom right away ... maybe it was just the situation and the alcohol they both had been drinking.

~~~

Nicole had cooked and the two spent a wonderful evening together. There was a lot of talk about the past, the present and their future together. After dinner, they had cleared the table, brought the dishes to the kitchen and started to rinse off together. However, they didn't get far. While Nicole had her hands still in the rinse water, Waverly stood behind her, snuggled up to her and put her arms around Nicole.

"Waves, we'll never finish," said Nicole, smiling. Waverly didn't seem to care. She stood on her tiptoes and began to kiss Nicole's neck.

"Waves. First work, then pleasure." Nicole had to concentrate on continuing to rinse the dishes. Waverly's hands started up. Shortly under Nicole's breasts she paused and let her hands go down again.  
"Is that so ?" Nicole couldn't see Waverly but she could tell from her voice that she was smiling and not just that ...

Waverly shoved her hands under Nicole's blouse, just letting them lie on her stomach. Involuntarily Nicole took a deep breath. Her girlfriend's hands were burning on her bare skin. But it felt good. Nicole put her wet hands on Waverly's. But it didn't seem to bother both. Slowly Nicole turned in Waverly's arms.

"It can wait until after." Nicole looked her girlfriend in the eyes, bowed her head and ... but before their lips touched she paused. Waverly didn't want to wait any longer. She overcame the last missing centimeter and put her lips on those of Nicole. It was a short but passionate kiss. By now Waverly felt comfortable in such situations. She had abandoned her initial shyness and insecurity.

"You mean by tomorrow." Nicole raised both eyebrows and watched Waverly as she began unbuttoning Nicole's blouse. From the bottom up. One button at a time. Again and again looking for eye contact. When the last button was released from captivity, Waverly put her hands on Nicole's shoulders from the front and then, in an infinitely slow motion, pushed the blouse over her shoulders and half her back. There she held the fabric with both hands and prevented Nicole from moving her arms.

"Waves." Nicole wanted to protest. She would have been strong enough to break free but why not just play this game ?

Waverly started kissing Nicole's cheeks, her neck down ...

"Waves." Nicole's voice barely understood. "Not here." Betweet dirty dishes and leftovers didn't seem to be the right place to go.

Nicole decided to arrange the necessary change of location herself. Even without her hands she could maneuver Waverly up to the stairs. On the way there, Waverly pulled off completely Nicole's blouse and threw it to the ground. The next steps to the lower landing of the stairs were interrupted again and again by further kisses. Both of them didn't really know where they were going, they were so busy with one other. Waverly took the lower step. She was now on par with Nicole. Without stopping the eye contact, she leaned forward and put her lips on Nicole's. Then Waverly stepped back to the next higher level. Not wanting to lose contact with Waverly, Nicole followed her slowly. Now they went up the stairs step by step. At the top, Nicole took the lead again. But not in the direction of the bedroom. A quick stop on the wall gave Nicole the opportunity to free Waverly from her shirt. With her left hand she let it fall to the floor next to her.

"You are so beautiful." Nicole put her hand's on Waverly's hips. Waverly's cheeks blushed at the compliment and she lowered her eyes. Compliments of that sort still had that effect on Waverly, and Nicole knew that very well. She put her right hand under Waverly's chin and raised her head so they could look each other in the eyes again.

"I love you, Waverly Earp. I will love you fo..." Waverly put her fingers on Nicole's lips, silencing her and shaking her head.

"Shhh." Over Nicole's shoulder, Waverly could see the open door to the bedroom. Nicole didn't have to follow Waverly's look. She knew where she had looked and smile. She picked up Waverly who intiutively put her arms around Nicole's neck and her legs around her hips. Nicole could hear Waverly giggle which she loved so much. She turned and walked through the door. As her knees hit the edge of the bed, she let Waverly glide slowly onto the bed and was over her at almost the same moment. With one hand Nicole leaned next to Waverly, the other she put on her cheek. A serious expression crossed her face.

"Are you sure ?" Nicole left Waverly to decide how to proceed. She didn't want to push her to do anything she didn't want. But Waverly didn't answer. Instead, she began to open Nicole's belt.  
'She's so cute when she bites her lower lip in full concentration.' Nicole was so happy with Waverly. She filled in the small gaps in her life and was at the same time the whole world for her. And sometimes, such small gestures were enough to make her aware of it.

Waverly's hands were now moving Nicole's back up to her bra. Her warm, soft hands knew exactly where to go. Seconds later, she had opened the lock and the straps slipped over Nicole's shoulders. Waverly inhaled audibly as she saw the naked torso of her girlfriend in front of her. She looked Nicole in the eyes again and Nicole could see nothing but desire in Waverly's eyes. And who was she to let Waverly wait even longer? Nicole lowered her head and joined her lips with those of Waverly. This kiss left no doubt what they felt for each other. Nicole opened her mouth and let her tongue glide over Waverly's teeth before she hit her tongue. Her right hand wandered down Waverly's body and deliberately found the button of her pants which opened quickly. Waverly held her breath as she felt Nicole's hand slip under the waistband of her pants.

"Meow !"

With a deliberate jump, Calamity Jane placed herself on the bed next to the couple who had other things in mind at the moment than to take of a cuddly pet. CJ poked her head against Waverly's forehead who finally caught her breath and was barely able to suppress a laugh.

"Don't stop, Nicole. Please !" whispered Waverly.

"What ? But ..." Waverly put her hand on Nicole's which was still in her jeans.

"CJ ! Get out of here !" Nicole just couldn't put the necessary rigor in her voice to get CJ to leave the bedroom. Calamity Jane tramped across the blanket to the other side of Waverly's face and began to lick her cheek.

"I can't do that." Nicole leaned on both hands beside Waverly. Waverly could see both disappointment and angry in the face of her girlfriend. A few seconds ago she had wanted so much to sleep with Nicole. But now she had to be careful not to laugh at Nicole. Lovingly, of course. The situation was a bit funny, even if Nicole didn't feel it at the moment.

"Babe, hey, it's not bad. She just needs a bit attention." Waverly leaned on her elbows.

"I need that, too." Nicole smiled again.

"And you will get it too." As soon as their lips touched for a soft kiss, Calamity Jane tried to force herself between the bodies of the two women. With a sigh from both, Nicole and Waverly broke up.

"I should rename you Wynonna Earp, you have a lot in common." Nicole glared at her cat. As if to thank for this compliment, Calamity Jane licked Nicole's forearm.

"Okay, that's enough, you really can break the work of hours in 10 seconds." Nicole put her bra back on. Waverly got up, went to the closet and pulled out new shirts for herself and Nicole. She slipped into a Police Academy shirt that was way too big for her and threw the other on the bed.

"Tea ?" She asked Nicole who replied with a "hmmm" out of the shirt. Waverly went down to the kitchen while Nicole busied herself with CJ again, trying to make her realize that she had no business in the bedroom when Nicole and Waverly were doing things that weren't meant for the eyes of others.

~~~

Nicole was lying on her bed. Now she knew what that feeling was in her stomach. Waverly meant everything to her, she was the epicenter of all her emotions, and the only person she wanted in her life right now. She was the perfect match for her. But as much as she wished that Waverly was with her now, she knew 'If I really love her, all I want is the best for her. Even if that means she doesn't want to be with me anymore.' A single tear ran from the corner of her eye to her ear. She could feel very clearly the cold trail on her skin that left the tear.

Should she get a message from Waverly now ... she would drop everything and drive to her. But after, as she had responded to Waverly's request for time, she was not sure if there would ever be such a message. Maybe she should take the first step. No. Waverly wanted time and she would get it.

Reluctantly Nicole got dressed and left her house shortly thereafter. She had decided to spend a nice afternoon in the diner. Maybe it would also help her to forget everything, or at least not think about it for a while. When the afternoon is only half as beautiful as the day that greeted her on the doorstep ...


	11. Chapter 11

#  Chapter 11

Waverly had barely opened Shorty's when the first guests arrived. Sometimes you almost got the feeling that they were just waiting outside for the doors of the bar to open. Didn't they have anything else to do ? It was good for Shorty's turnover, of course, but it also saddened Waverly that there were people whose only refuge from life was Shorty's. A kind of home.

However, the lucrative business doesn't begin until the laborers from the farms come to the city and spend their hard earned money on alcohol. Some days they have earned a lot of money. Then they drank a beer or two too many or felt ill served if Waverly or Rosita no longer wanted to give them whiskey. Then it could ever come to disagreements or to one or the other brawl. In most cases, Waverly was able to reassure the brawlers themselves, rarely needed the help of the police. Occasionally, her friend also came to her aid. None of the men in the bar, no matter how drunk, wanted Waverly possibly injured.  
Lately, however, it had been very quiet. Waverly's shifts in Shorty's were downright boring. Although she had a lot to do but also enough time to talk with the guests. Good-humored guests drank more and thus brought higher revenue. Although that wasn't the reason why Waverly got involved in conversation. She was just a polite person, always ready to listen to the problems of others.  
Wynonna had often told her that she shouldn't worry about everyone, that she cannot solve every problem. Even Rosita noticed and agreed with Wynonna. But when Waverly was mentioned, she just shrugged. She was the Waverly she was. She couldn't and didn't want to change. And everyone loved her the way she was.

"Hello."

Waverly came back from one of the tables with a few glasses when Sheriff Nedley entered Shorty's.

"Sheriff Nedley, hi." With her usual smile, Waverly greeted the sheriff of the small town and put the empty beer glasses on the counter.

"The usual ?"

"Looks like I've been using Happy Hour at Shorty's for too long if I can order 'the usual'. But, yes, thank you, a cup of coffee would be nice." Nedley put his Stetson on the counter and looked around. As always the same people here. He would still go round and talk to them, hear what they have to say and put one hand on the back of one or the other, show them that he was well aware that life could going to put a stumbling block in life plannings.

"Coffee, coming up." Waverly picked up the glasses again, wiped a cloth across the counter then vanished in the back of the bar. It only took a few moments before she returned with a cup of coffee for the sheriff.

"Thank you." Nedley took the hot cup and took a sip. He turned and leaned his back against the counter.

"Alone on the road today ?" Waverly started the conversation.

"Sheriff's privilege to have lunch here." Nedley looked over his shoulder. Waverly didn't seem to have heard about the accident last night. And he didn't know if he should be the one who told her that Nicole was injured in the accident. He didn't feel good about keeping it to her but Nicole had hesitantly answered his questions, not telling him the whole truth about what had happened last night at the Earp homestead. He decided not to say at first.

"Oh, hey, Dolls." Deputy Marshal Dolls entered Shorty's and headed straight for Sheriff Nedley.

"Waverly." He nodded to the young Earp.

"Also a coffee or something stronger from a smaller bottle ?" Waverly looked briefly at the cellar door behind which was the secret laboratory where Rosita Dolls's "medicine" mixed.

"Only coffee. Thank you." Dolls, too, turned his back to the counter and propped himself up with his ellbows. Turning to Nedley, he said, "Quiet today."

Nedley answered without looking at Dolls.

"You've been here long enough to know that 'quiet' means nothing here in Purgatory."

"Your coffee, Dolls. If you want something just let me know." Waverly put the cup on the counter behind the deputy.

"Oh, Waverly, how is Nicole ?" Dolls had turned and picked up his cup. Almost at the same moment he got a slight kick from Nedley against his shin and a reproachful look. Dolls looked down at his foot first, then at Nedley and knew right then that he had put the wrong question to the wrong person.

Waverly paused in her motion and looked questioningly at Dolls.

"Nicole ? Why are you asking ? Did Wynonna talk to you ? Or Doc ?"

"Neither. Would they have done that ?" Dolls no longer knew what to think. What did Wynonna and Doc have to do with Nicole's accident ?

"Okay, what's going on here ? Sheriff ?" Waverly hoped Nedley could clear up the situation. Reluctantly, he turned to Waverly.

"Now." He cleared his throat. "There was a little incident on the road tonight from your farm to town."

"An incident ? What does that mean ?" Waverly suddenly had a bad feeling. Something had happened but nobody wanted to tell her what it was.

"We got a call that there had been an accident and that a patrol car was involved."

"Nicole ?" Waverly looked at Nedley, startled. "Is she okay ? Is she in the hospital ? Is she seriously injured ?" There was panic in Waverly. And at such moments she talked without breathing.

"She's fine. She spent the night at the hospital but this morning I drove her home." To calm Waverly, Nedley put his hand on Waverly's. "She didn't break anything, just a few scratches and bruises, nothing bad. I've released her for the next 3 days so she can recover. But as you may have guessed, Officer Haught wasn't particularly fond of it."

Waverly was relieved and had to smile. "She can't do anything with too much free time. She loves her work." But the smile vanished as fast as it had appeared on Waverly's face. She suddenly had a guilty conscience. After all, Nicole had been with her just minutes before the accident. And she had more or less broken up with Nicole. Maybe that was the cause of the accident. Maybe Nicole was so distracted that she couldn't concentrate on the road anymore. Waverly had not done otherwise. She, too, had been completely confused after Nicole left the Earp homestead but she was in a safe place. Nicole on the other hand ...

"Everything alright, kid ?" Nedley looked knowingly at Waverly, aware that something had happened between the two young women last night. And now he saw in Waverly's face the same expression Nicole had when he as with her.

"Yeah." Waverly hesitantly answered, her voice shaking. Dolls didn't seem to notice and Nedley wouldn't ask.

"I can drive you to her if you want. Maybe she needs help." Nedley had already taken his stetson off the counter, ready to drive the young Earp home to his officer.

Waverly shook her head slightly. "I have a lot of work to do here and I think Nicole is fine on her own. You said yourself that the injuries aren't that bad and she's probably going to have a nice rest." As if to emphasize her words, she wiped her cloth across the counter, lost in thoughts, and turned then to another costumer who had just come to the counter to place an order.

Nedley watched Waverly for a few more seconds as she resumed her work. Then he turned to Dolls.

"What about you ? Are you coming back to the Sheriff's Department or are you trying to mix with the people ?" It was a rhethoric question. Dolls didn't have much left for the common people. It was amazing that he even stood here at Shorty's and drank coffee.

"I have something else to do." Dolls ignored the puzzled-looking Nedley and headed for the back of the bar. He opened the door to the basement and closed it behind him.

"I think the lunch break is probably over." Nedley put on his Stetson, tapped his right hand against the edge of his hat as his eyes met Waverly's and said good-bye to the younger Earp. He left Shorty's and sat in his patrol car and drove back to the Sheriff's Department. Because Nicole wouldn't be on duty today and for the next two days there was more to do for him than usual. He didn't like paperwork any more than his officers but he had been a cop for so long that he had resigned himself to spend a lot of time filling out forms. It was part of the job.

Nedley was sure he wouldn't miss the paperwork as soon as he retired and Nicole took over his sheriff's post. She would become a different kind of sheriff. She had the right instinct, an eye for details, empathy and leadership. She would do a good job, even as a sheriff. He knew that. The people trusted her.

Purgatory was in good hands with her.


	12. Chapter 12

#  Chapter 12

Nicole hated to be late. Tardiness was a puddle of rudeness to her. The memory of Waverly had distracted her so much that she had forgotten the time and left home too late. She was only two blocks away from the diner but it was already 3:02.  
Nicole heard a car approaching from behind. As she caught the hood of a patrol car in the corner of her eye, she cursed inwardly.

"Officer Haught."

"Sheriff." Nicole answered without stopping. Now she would definitely arrive far too late at the diner.

"Shouldn't you be home ? To recover ?" Nedley tried to sound strict. He didn't always succeed to Nicole but he had not released her to wander through the city.

"I wanted to get some fresh air, sit in the house all day and do nothing ... I can't do that, you know me. It's driving me crazy." Nicole had stopped and looked through the passenger window. She smiled at Nedley and knew he would let her go on in a few moments. Nedley smiled back at her.

"How do you feel ?" The smile gave way to a worried expression.

"I slept a bit. The pain isn't so bad. The three days off will be boring but if the weather stays that way, I'll enjoy the last warm autumn days before winter comes."

"You are a good officer, Nicole, but a bad liar. You already hate your spare time. Waverly Earp was right, you can't do much with days off." Nedley watched the young woman drop her eyes at the mention of the name. When she looked up again, her smile had disappeared.

"Do you mind if I move on now ? I'd like a little more ..." Nicole pointed with her right hand down the street.

"Oh, no, of course not. Soak up sun. See you back in the department. Relax well." Nedley put both hands on the steering wheel and even before he left, he heard Nicole say, "I will."

Nicole waited until the patrol car had turned off at the next intersection. Then she started towards the diner.

~~~

Eve had been in the diner for almost 15 minutes, waiting for Nicole. She had been up early so as not to risk keeping Nicole off. Now it was already 3:07 and Nicole let her wait. After all she knew about Nicole Haught, she hadn't expected her to be late for a meeting. But that made her human. Eve smiled. Looking out the window, Eve saw a red-haired young woman approach the door of the diner, nervously looking at her watch.

Eve's smile widened. Nicole Haught seemed to have a guilty conscience. Maybe she could allow herself a little fun with it.  
The door opened and Nicole entered the diner. She looked around and saw Eve sitting at a table. Nicole slowly came to the table.

"I'm sorry. I'm never late for anything else, it's kind of embarrassing." Nicole stood beside the table and looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

"Almost ten minutes. I was about to leave." Eve gave Nicole a serious look. She looked at her watch and then at Nicole again. Eve bit her lower lip but she couldn't stop her mouth angles from going up slowly.

"Oh my god, your making fun of me." Nicole hadn't quite overcome the shock when Eve offered her the free seat at the table with a quick wave of her hand. Nicole sat down and was glad that she wasn't resenting that she was too late.

Seconds later, the waitress came to the table.

"What can I bring you ? Oh, hi, the same as this morning ?" The waitress recognized Eve.

"Hi, yeah, cappuccino. Thanks." Eve was not surprised the waitress remembered her. It had only been a few hours and even now only a few tables were occupied in the diner.

"Me, too, please." Nicole was still too busy with herself to think about what she wanted to drink.

"So, what apologies do you have for being late ?" Eve simply couldn't resist this question. She hoped that Nicole wouldn't take the whole thing so serious.

"I don't have any apologies. I took a shower, got dressed and then I left late and Sheriff Nedley got involved in a conversation on the way ..." Nicole shrugged.

"Then you have an excuse. And I believe you too." Eve winked at Nicole. "Don't worry so much, it's just a cup of coffee and not the end of the world – if you get there late, it would be pretty dumb."

"Well, I'd like to be late for the end of the world." Nicole smiled. Slowly the self-reproaches disappeared and she was able to engage more with the conversation with Eve.

"'Same as this morning' ? Have you ever been here ?"

"Yeah, without coffee in the morning I'm a walking zombie. I can't bear it, and since I didn't want this meeting to be a disaster, I thought I was going to drive that undead out with a big dose of caffeine. I just don't know if it worked. What do you think ?" Eve looked at Nicole seriously.

"I think the zombie was successfully expelled." Nicole was felling well now.

"Your cappuccinos." The waitress put one cup in front of the two young women on the table and then went back to the counter.

"Okay, so ..." Nicole tried to start a conversation but didn't know exactly how she should do it.

"Yeah." Eve laughed softly. "Difficult to talk to a stranger if the cop in one wants to ask questions that would make a conversation sound like an interrogation, right ?" Nicole blushed slightly. Eve had seen through in a few seconds.

"It's an occupational hazard but can be a bit disturbing in private life."

"Yeah, I believe you but don't hesitate to ask, we should talk about something if we don't just want to sit here and drink coffee. So what do you want to know ?"

Nicole picked up her cup. She didn't know how to start.

"Okay. How does a young woman like you get into such a remote town as Purgatory but the name alone would scare me off wanting to work here." Eve knew the story but it was the easiest way to make Nicole talk.

"Coincidence."

"Coincidence ? Wow, a moving life summed up in just one word. Is that you superpower ? Always finding the right word on a question ?" Eve had found the right button at Nicole. Both had to laugh.

Nicole moistened her lips with her tongue and began to smile.  
"After I graduated from the Police Academy, I got word that the sheriff of a small town somewhere in the middle of nowhere had a job to sign up for and had requested me. I could have worked in bigger cities but I chose Purgatory. Don't ask me why." Nicole raised both eyebrows and shrugged. "I just knew that I had to come here."

"Do you regret your decision ?"

Nicole made a thoughtful face and took a sip of her cappuccino, perhaps to gain time and sort out her thoughts.

"No." Nicole's voice was firm and determined. "No, I don't regret it. It was the best decision of my life."

"Must be boring here." Eve knew that Nicole wouldn't talk about the things that really happened here. Who would believed ? Revenants ? Demons ? Eve would because these things were part of here everyday life. But Nicole had no idea.

"I know Purgatory looks like a town that didn't notice we're already at the turn of the millenium. But it's nice here. Yes, you're right. The crime rate is very low but our work is important. I feel like doing so much more here than in the big cities where you collect the same kids who deal with drugs every day at the street corner, take them to the station, fill out a pile of forms and let them go again. The next day everything starts all over again. Nothing changes."

"It's frustrating."

There was a short silence at the table. The two women knew that the everyday wasn't for them. They both felt they could help other people with their job.  
In Purgatory, it was the small quarrels between neighbors or brawls in the bars to which Nicole was called. Things that could be fixed with a few well-intentioned words. And she had a good hand for the inhabitants of Purgatory.  
And Eve, well, she was in Purgatory to help people who didn't know yet that they were in danger.  
But secret was the thrill that appealed to them at their job the most.

"And what about you ? You said you were traveling with your brother and got lost. How did this happen ?" Nicole seemed really interessted in learning more about Eve.

"I've made the mistake of giving my brother the wheel. Adam has a very poor sense of direction, for a man." Eve paused for a reaction from Nicole to continue her story.

"Adam ? Really ? Adam and Eve ?" Nicole emphasized both names and looked at Eve in disbelief.

"Yeah. That's a bit longer story." Eve was curious if Nicole Haught would believe her story. Eve herself wouldn't believe a word.

"I don't have to work the next few days, so, we have enough time."

"Oh man, I didn't ask you how you were, I mean, after the accident." The scratches on Nicole's face were obvious.

"I'm fine, otherwise I wouldn't be here. But do you really think that's enough to distract me ? If it's not too personal, I'd like to hear that story." Nicole picked up her cup and sat back.

"Well, then I'll tell you the story of Adam and Eve now."

The diner door was opened and a middle-aged man came in. He wore an old jeans, a plaid shirt, a jacket with a half open zipper and a cowboy hat. According to the outfit, one could have considered him a farm worker. But Eve's trained eye noticed a few inconsistencies. His shoes – clean, as if he had just bought them. His watch – far too expensive for a farm worker. And he seemed to be carrying a weapon. Definitely not a simple worker. The man sat down at a table at the far end of the diner and he avoided seeing the two young women. At Eve all alarm bells rang.

"Uhm. The names shouldn't be joking. Our parents are very religous, Adam and I grew up in a Christian community that has no contact with outsiders, the members more or less cared for themselves. We were still very young when our parents joined this community. One condition in this community was names related to the Bible in some way, so our parents chose Adam and Eve."

Eve shook her head. Actually, because she didn't believe that she had actually told that story. Nicole was more likely to feel like Eve was still didn't believe that her parents had really done that.

"And what were your names before it ?" Nicole couldn't imagine what it would be like to suddenly have a different name from one day to the next. Without decided this yourself.

"To be honest, I can't remember. And our parents never used our old names again."

"Hm." Nicole looked thoughtful. She put the cup to her lips and only then noticed that she had already drunk it empty.

"One more ?" Eve asked and Nicole nodded. Eve's gaze fell back to the stranger first, then waved to the waitress and signaled that they wanted two more cappuccinos. The young woman behind the counter nodded.

"So you grew up in this community without knowing what's going on in the world. So why are you here in Purgatory now ?" Nicole asked thoughtfully.

"Adam and I never really fit into the community, as if we knew that we were ... uhm ... that's really hard to explain. We kept breaking the rules, and were punished accordingly. Penalties couldn't stop us from doing the next nonsense. We played pranks on our teachers, we spent a lot of time working on the farm, and bedtime was for the other kids but not for us. Sometimes we were outside through the whole night. We chased the chickens and pigs across the yard. Adam even tried to ride one of the pigs but he didn't get very far." Eve laughed as if she really remembered all those things.

"Still sounds like an exciting childhood. Better than dealing with drugs."

"Well, the drug was a black book for us and everybody was dependent except us."

"Which still doesn't explain why you are here now."

"You can't leave this community like that, we noticed that quickly. Adam gave me the first escape attempt as a gift on my sixteenth birthday but our dad did find us in less than an hour and dragged us back home. Four weeks later, we tried it again, in vain. We were initially punished with house arrest or harder work on the farm. We were assigned to adults as guardians and so we surrendered to our fate. At least for the next two years. Then we tried it again to run away. We hid in a small forest near the farm. We had prepared ourselves well, had taken clothes and provisions. Whole 7 hours we were in freedom then they found us. Yeah, 'they'. A group of 10 or 12 men were looking for us. Our father wasn't among them. And this time the punishment was harder."

When the waitress put the coffees down on the table, Eve paused and let the words work. Nicole had listened attentively and shaken her head some times. When they were alone again, Eve continued.

"I would call it solitary confinement. They locked us up in a barn, separated. We couldn't see each other but we knew the other one was there too. We didn't get much food and unfortunately, we flee until autumn. So, at night the temperatures dropped to a level that made sleeping in the barn very uncomfortable. I don't even know how long we were locked in. But when they finally let us out, our wish to flee was almost sunken to zero. We were just happy to be able to sleep in our own bed again and get proper food. We weren't allowed to eat with the others at the table but we didn't care. Otherwise it was forbidden for the others to talk to us. So our days weren't very exciting."

Across Nicole's shoulder, Eve could see the stranger writing a message on his cell phone. He turned his head and their eyes met. Only for a fraction of a second but Eve was now sure to know who he was.  
She turned back to Nicole.

"It all had a good one then. We weren't married. I don't understand why but somehow nobody wanted us." Eve laughed and now she enjoyed telling this story. Just to make sure that in the end she should remember everything and tell her partner about it.

"So you are still single ?" Nicole laughed too.

"Looks like that. Interested ?"

Silence. Eve and Nicole met each other's eyes. Feeling for an eternity. If Eve had been able to stop time at that moment, she would have done it. She saw in Nicole's brown eyes but couldn't read in them what Nicole thought. Instead, Eve broke off eye contact and took a sip from her cup.

"The security measures we have are getting less and less over time, but as you can see, it took years before we were able to start a new attempt, this time planning everything for several months, providing food in hidden camps and other things that could be useful to us. And this time we were successful."

Nicole put her hand on Eve's.

"I had no idea what you went through."

Why did Eve feel guilty about lying to Nicole ? It was part of the plan and it was successful so far.

"How would you have ?" Eve withdrew her hand.

"How long have you been traveling now ?" Nicole withdrew her hand as well. She didn't want Eve feel uncomfortable.

"Just over two weeks."

"Two weeks ? And where did you wanted to go to ?"

"We didn't worry about that. We just wanted to leave." Her target, of course, had been Purgatory.

"And the car ?" And there she was again. Officer Nicole Haught. Eve's answer to that question was just a lowered look.

"You stole the car ? Shit. I have to report to Sheriff Nedley." Nicole shook her head.  
Eve set her ellbows on the table and put her face in her hands. Nicole reached across the table with her right hand and placed it on Eve's forearm.

"I don't have to do that today. I'm not on duty and Sheriff Nedley will understand if you tell him what you told me." Nicole looked at Eve understandingly. She definitely wanted to help. But she would by no means betray her understanding of justice.

"How about you and your brother staying her for a while, in Purgatory ? You can hide her ... well, in case someone searches for you. You could change your names, rent a house, work here. We'll certainly find work for both of you." Nicole tried to put as much confidence in her voice as possible. If you could hide somewhere, it would be best in Purgatory.

"I can help you with registration, the name change and also the job search. I know the people here. We will do it." A smile appeared on Nicole's face from which Eve was infected.

"I need to talk to my brother first, maybe he wants to move on as soon as possible. But thank you, for the suggestion and your help." Eve meanwhile had her hand on Nicole's. She felt the soft warm skin under her fingers and ran her thumb over Nicole's back of her hand.

At the far end of the diner the stranger got up slowly, went to the counter, threw a few bank notes on it and left the diner. Just before he stepped through the door, he glanced once more at Eve who returned his gaze.

"I think it's better I go back to the motel. I'll talk to Adam and then let you know what we decide. How can I contact you ?"

"Well, the best thing is to ask someone in the Sheriff's Department. But ..." Nicole pulled her cell phone out of a pocket. "I'll give you my number, just call me."

"Day or night ?" Eve shock her head, smiling. "Sorry, that's just a joke." At that moment the waitress passed their table.

"Excuse me, could I just borrow your pen ?"

"Naturally." The young woman gave Nicole the pen and went on. Eve still saw the stranger through the window. He seemed to wait for Eve to follow him. Or he just wanted to show her that he knew who she was.  
Nicole wrote her number on a napkin and then pushed it to Eve.

"But don't wait too long. You too deserve to lead a normal life that you choose to do yourself."

Eve reached for the napkin but Nicole didn't let it go. "And, yes, day or night !" She took her hand off the napkin and Eve could stash it in her pocket.

"I pay today." And before Nicole could say anything. "Next time you can take the bill." Eve winked at Nicole, got up and went to the counter, paid the coffees and turned once back to Nicole.

"It was nice to meet you again. See you."

Nicole nodded.

Eve stepped outside and looked down the street in both directions but the stranger had disappeared. She hadn't been careful for a moment and now he was gone. She absolutely had to tell her partner that they had been found in Purgatory. However they had done that so fast. Now they were suddenly under higher time pressure than expected.

Eve turned towards the motel. She searched for her cell phone in her pockets but first pulled out the napkin with Nicole's mobile number. She would certainly contact Nicole for professional or private reasons.


	13. Chapter 13

#  Chapter 13

On the way to the motel, Eve tried to call her partner four times by phone. In vain. After a few seconds, she was redirected to the mailbox. Presumably he was still out of town and his phone had no signal. Or he ignored her calls. No. He wouldn't do that.

Arriving at the motel, she took the room key and opened the door. She entered the room, closed the door and stopped, startled ...

~~~

Nicole was still sitting in the diner. About ten minutes ago, Eve had left but still Nicole could hear her voice, as she told her past, the 'adventures' she had experienced with her brother. The story sounded a bit strange. Were there any such communities as the one Eve had talked about ? Nicole shook her head. What a stupid question. There were the strangest communities around the world. Here too. Most of all here.  
'The Order' – these red-clad men who ran ax-swinging through Purgatory and beheaded whatever. Mictian was the name of that demon they hunted for, almost killing Waverly.  
'Cult of Bulshar' – Nicole didn't want to think about that. What this cult was, they didn't know exactly. And Nicole wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

She sat for a few minutes, then went back home. She had enjoyed the afternoon and wouldn't say 'no' if Eve asked her again.

~~~

Dolls stopped halfway down the stairs and watched Rosita for a few seconds as she filled a yellowish liquid from one test tube to another. She hung it over a flame in a home-made device and waited. As a foul-smelling vapor rose, she took it out of the holder and threw it into a bucket of cold water. It hissed briefly and after a few seconds, the stench was gone again.

"There are supposed to be people who can't even boil hot water." Dolls went down the remaining four steps.

"Hot water, huh ? This is probably a little bit more complicated than hot water !" Rosita sounded frustrate. And she was.  
Most of the time she spent either upstairs in the bar or down here in the basement. Was it too much to ask for things to work now and then ?

Rosita had been able to reconstruct Dolls' 'medicine' with the help of Jeremy Chetri but her ambition drove her to improve the formula. At the moment, the atomic structure of the substance disintegrated after about eight days. So she hadn't been able to produce a larger supply. That had to change necessarily. Maybe she would experiment with different flavors. What would be the favorite taste of a lizard or a dragon ? Yes, many thing were possible in chemistry. Maybe it was also possible to influence Dolls through his 'medicine' in a different way than just suppressing his demons.

"Need replenishment ? You should still have enough." Rosita went to the closet as a precaution and picked out a small black bag filled with two ampules ... a third was in the works ... so Dolls couldn't be here for that.

"No, thanks, I have enough." Dolls looked at her with his usual expressionless face.

"Oh, okay, then is this," Rosita pointed with her left hand first at Dolls then at herself, "more such a kind of verification visit. Don't you think that if I had wanted to poison you, I already would have done it ?"

"You understand with certainty that my confidence in you has lessened a bit lately. You've helped to find the remedy for Nicole's poisoning, not just as a scientist but as a test subject, and we're all grateful for that. But that doesn't mean that everything is all right. You'll probably have to get used to the fact that we'll see each other more often in the future."

Deputy Marshal Dolls was an agent with very good instincts. That he didn't noticed Doc's girlfriend was one of 'them', from those red-eyed revenants, scratches at his honor.

Dolls slowly went back up the wooden stairs.

"Dolls ?" Rosita called after him. "What do you prefer to drink ?"

"Boubon." Without pausing, Dolls went on, opened the door, stepped back into the bar and slammed the door shut behind him.

Rosita had done everything so that no one noticed who she really was. Everyone was unaware, except for Doc who offered protection in return for her services to the team. And if the incident hadn't been with Tucker Gardner, no one would suspect it today. But why did she get involved with Doc ? She had maneuveredherself in close proximity to the Peacemaker. She should have known that could not last long.

Now everyone knew her little secret. Rosita knew what her own end would look like. Whether she was friends with the Earps or not. Each revenant had to be sent back to hell to break the Earp Curse.

Rosita would have to die for the Earps to live.

~~~

Eve has slowly recovered from the shock and was now herself again.

"Damn, what are you doing here ?" Eve could have killed her partner at that moment. Her heart pounded so loud she heard her pulse beat in her ear. She shock her head and sat down on the bed.

"I hope you didn't touch my minibar !"

"You don't have a minibar in this room, and even if I had just drunk the water. I think you wouldn't have noticed." He countered.

"Okay, so, is there anything new or is it just fun to wait here and scare me ?" Eve looked challengingly at him. These conversations both liked. Tease each other a bit then switch back to the professional tone.

"as well as. While you were enjoying the afternoon with Officer Haught, I researched and found a familiar person in the city." Adam sat upright in his chair.

"A guy about six feet tall, old jeans, plaid shirt, ..." Eve began to describe the man from the diner.

"What are you talking about ?" Adam sounded really surprised.

"About what I wanted to talk to you over phone when I tried to call you, four times. Where were you ?"

"At first I was out of town but this trailor-park was a dead end. So I went to the Sheriff's Department and asked about a few things about the accident. And then I saw him." Adam's voice sounded almost as if he didn't trust himself. Or his memories.

"Who ?"

"Richard Martin. In a suit and tie, clean-shaven, expensive leather boots. I almost didn't recognize him. He looks so different from his SWAT uniform." Adam seemed to try to remember earlier.

"You know him ? Is he from the ..." Eve already guessed the answer before Adam completed her sentence.

"... BBD, yeah. He was my supervisor on a few missions."

"But if he ... what is he doing here ?"

"I heard the sheriff call him Judge Martin." Adam shook his head in disbelief. "He's not a big friend of lawyers. In his opinion, they only hide behind their laws, and now he's a judge ?"

"If he's from the BBD, then it was just a fake with the abandoned HQ. Why the whole thing ?"

"Probably to lull Wynonna Earp to safety."

"Have you talked to him ?"

"No. I think he didn't see me at all."

"But I saw somebody. In the diner. A strange guy. He tried to dress like a local which he clearly failed to do. He sat at the other end of the room for a while. I think he sent a message to someone when he's been watching me. He knows who I am. I could see it in his eyes." When Eve remembered the cold expression in his eyes, a cold shiver ran down her spine. He had something weird that Eve couldn't describe. But she was sure he wasn't a friend.

"And where is he now ?" Adam asked impatiently.

"I lost track of him and when I left the diner shortly after, he was gone."

"Officer Haught has probably distracted you too much." Eve ignored her partner's statement. She was by no means distracted. Maybe a bit but not so much.

"And ? Do you think she'll believe you if you tell her why we are here ?"

"Oh, you mean, if she'll believe the second story as much as the first one which is nothing but a lie ? I hope so."

"Once she's seen this," Adam pointed to the bags full of documents, files and photos, "then she'll surely believe it. She's a police officer, she needs proof and she'll get it. Dolls and the Earps will probably not be that easy to convince."

Adam looked at his watch.

"I think we should prepare slowly for this evening. I'll treat myself to a hot shower and then we should have something to eat before the drinking starts."

"Drinking ?" Eve frowned questioningly.

"What else do you do in a bar ?" He got up and went to the door, opened it and as he was leaving he said over his shoulder, "You should get ready, too. 20 minutes."

Then he closed the door from the outside.

20 minutes was very generously calculated by him. Usually he didn't give her so much time. Eve smiled and shook her head. A shower sounded great and food even much more better. Drinking would probably leave her to her partner. She had never had much love for alcohol. But there was nothing wrong with a beer or two. After all, she was in a bar and there you can't order water in the evening. She would also have the chance to talk to Waverly Earp.

Eve opened the bag with clothes and picked out what she wanted to wear later und disappeared in the bathroom.

She undressed and threw her clothes on the floor unnoticed. From the outside, she turned on the water and waited until it had the right temperature. Then she stood under the warm stream of water and leaned against the wall with both hands. The water ran over her face, her hair, down her neck, over her back, her legs. She just stood there as if time had stopped.  
Sometimes it's the simple things of life that make it possible for you to let go of your thoughts and even think about nothing for a brief moment, do not worry or plan the next day.

Only slowly did she get ready and had just finished dressing when her partner knocked at her door.  
Eve opened and looked at Adam, suppressing a grin.

"What ?"

"I forgot that we don't actually have the right clothes in our bags for a place like Purgatory. You look like Fox Mulder ..." Her grin became even more. "I would call it a bit overdressed but I'm sure you have nothing else in your suitcase, right ?" Eve put a hand to her mouth and shook her head slightly.

"I haven't had time to go shopping yet and dress like a cheap Wyatt Earp copy, besides, we will not be here long enough for it to be worth it."

"We should take the time. The way you look, you can't go to Shorty's. We have to keep our cover, at least another day or two.The way you look ... everything screams 'agent' or 'government agency'. Would you wear a unicorn costume, you would attract less attention." Eve had to laugh at this thought.  
"Excuse me, but ...because," she pointed to his pants and shoes, "we definitely have to change something."

Adam grunted that Eve couldn't understand but she could imagine that it was one of the typical men's comments that women would hear when they wanted to go shopping with their men. Not that Eve had much experience in it ... actually she had no ...

"There's certainly a shop in town where we can buy you other shoes, pants and maybe another shirt. And I think we can do without hat and revolver." For the last comment, Eve earned a scowl from her partner.

About 40 minutes later they were back in front of the shop. Adam dressed in a dark blue jeans, a beige-colored shirt and much more comfortable shoes. Eve held a bag in her right hand with Adam's clothes which were no longer needed today.

"Satisfied ?"

"Perfect. The costume 'demon hunter' was already sold out but this will do too." She threw the bag in the trunk of the car and got in. Adam took the seat on the passenger side. He wasn't feeling well in his new outfit yet.

"If this doesn't work, you owe me something." Adam looked at Eve seriously.

"Okay. The first beer is on me." Eve started the engine and drove off.

Eve and Adam had already experienced a lot as partners. But spending an evening together in a bar was new territory for them.  
As different as the two were, so different were their expectations for the course of the evening.

However, whoever would have more fun of the two was obvious.


	14. Chapter 14

#  Chapter 14

It was a normal working day. The later it got, the more Shorty's filled up. The billiard balls were hunted over the green fils, the darts flew through the air and the beer went over the counter as if it were on special offer today. The guests were always in a good mood. There was a lot of laughter and one or two not quite true stories of a farm worker. But that didn't bother anyone. Stories had to be embellished and a little exaggerated. Who wanted to hear the everyday crap ?

Waverly preferred to have Shorty's full. If she had a lot to do, the evening went by dramatically faster and you could break away from intrusive guests faster. However, she wasn't quite in a thing. It wasn't even 8 pm and she had already dropped 2 beer glasses and 1 whiskey glass. Filling the beer glasses failed almost every time and some guests had to wait longer than usual for their order.

Waverly felt a warm hand in her shoulder. She lowered her head, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"What's up with you today," Rosita asked.

"I don't know. It's one of those days when you'd better stay in bed." Waverly had turned to Rosita. "But so far nobody seems to have noticed except you."

"Can I ... I have another beer ?" Waverly turned to Skip who looked and sounded like he had already had enough drunk for an evening. On the other hand, Waverly had so much energy that with one elbow she knocked the glass on the floor which she had just put on the counter before Rosita came to her.

"Skip, right ? I think you should save your money and 'skip' the next round. And you, sweetie, you should take a break, get some fresh air, calm down, whatever, you're here right now no help."

Rosita pushed past Waverly and was about to stoop to pick up the glass shards when Waverly held her back.

"Thank you." Waverly looked guiltily aside for a second and could see Skip shuffling back to his friends at the table, then gave Rosita a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back in 5 minutes."

"Take your time," Rosita called after her, a hand on the cheek Waverly had kissed. Maybe there was a chance that the two young women could come closer again. Platonic.

~~~

Eve and Adam had fetched some food in a Chinese restaurant and were now sitting in their car with their noodle boxes in their hands.  
"And I thought we were at the bottom of the world, but we were landed in China." Eve fished some noddles from her box with Chinese food with her chopsticks.

"Did you know that the noodles taste completely different when you eat them with a fork ? You should take the chopsticks. It tastes a lot better." Eve smiled encouragingly at her partner.

"Nonsense. Noddles, chicken and vegetables in both boxes. There is no difference." Adam continued to eat.

"And what about the peanuts ?" Eve looked over the edge of her cardboard box at Adam who breathed deeply before answering.

"If you want to kill me, we can exchange our boxes." He turned to Eve and held his food under her nose. "I thought so."

They continued to eat in peace for a few minutes but Eve didn't want to let go.

"Just try it, it's not as hard as it looks. Look, so, and then," halfway from the box to Eve's mouth, the noddles fell back into the pits from the chopsticks.

"Impressive." Adam put an extra large portion of noodles in his mouth and chewed with relish. "Delicious Gong Bao chicken."

"Very funny." Eve gave up. He just wasn't convincing.

"Ma la."

"What ?"

"Oh, you can eat with chopsticks but you don't know that expression ? According to your eating technique, I had already expected you to have grown up in China. That grace and smoothness in your movements ..." It was one of those rare moments between the two in which Adam was having fun.

"I didn't grow up in China but I used to have a Chinese neighbor. She showed me how to handle with chopsticks – eat, knit and catch flies. But what the hell means 'malla' ?"

Adam shook his head at Eve's ignorance. "Okay, first of all it's called 'ma la' und not 'malla'. And that's what Chinese people call the combination of the different degrees of acuteness of the Gong Bao chicken with the Szechuan pepper and the chili peppers, which are not eaten, along with the caused tingling on the tongue. It must not be too hot, so that you cannot feel anything, but still hot enough to strongly irritate the receptors of the tongue. And it doesn't matter if I eat it with chopsticks or a fork !" Eve liked it when he shared his knowledge with her. Adam was sometimes a little cold and unapproachable, but at moments like this, he gave away bits and pieces of his personality. And unlike many other colleagues, she appreciated the fact that he shared such small details with her.

"You could have said that with the chili peppers earlier." Eve pushed one of the chilis in her box aside and looked at Adam. "Oh, was that just a smile ? I saw it clearly. You should be careful with such muscle movements during the meal, otherwise you may pierce your lip."

Both had to laugh. Such moments were just too rare to be missed.

~~~

Waverly had needed that short break. There were so many things going through her mind. She just wanted to work and forget everything. She took three deep breaths.

'Come on, Waves. Focus on your job. You don't earn enough to replace all the glasses in Shorty's.' Waverly knew Doc wouldn't blame her, not for some glasses she had accidentally dropped. But she also knew that the guests couldn't drink the whiskey from the bottle. Just like Wynonna liked her whiskey the most.

"Good, then back to work." Waverly opened the door and went back to the bar. Rosita had meanwhile cleared away the pieces of the broken glass and served the waiting guests. At the moment it seemed quieter.

"Everything okay ?" Rosita smiled at Wavely and took her hand. "If you need a longer break or want to do a free-time earlier that would be fine with me. I can finish the shift on my own."

"No. I'm fine." Waverly smiled back.

Rosita looked at Waverly's hand which she still held in her own. Then she looked into Waverly's eyes. It was just a small friendly gesture but still an intimate moment for both ... a strange moment.  
Rosita withdrew her hand and turned to the counter.

"Well, then you can bring them over here to the table over there, preferably without any of them breaking." Rosita winked at Waverly and began wiping the counter with a dishcloth. Waverly took the glasses and brought them to the waiting guests. As usual, she paused at the table and did what she was known for and liked by everyone – smalltalk. Rosita saw the young Earp put her hand on the shoulder of one of the young men, showing her charming smile. The small wrinkles on her eyes proved that her good mood wasn't faked.

The next hour was filled with the usual activities. Gradually more and more guests came to Shorty's which meant to Waverly and Rosita that they had more and more to do. Rosita was now glad that Waverly hadn't accepted the offer for a night off. Taking care of all the people alone would have been almost impossble.

"Hey, Waverly." A young man went to the counter and leaned his torso forward so Waverly could understand him better.

"Pete." Waverly also leaned forward. A small group of men played pool and the sinking of the black ball was celebrated with loud cheers and clinking glasses.

"I would like to have another round for me and my friends." He nodded toward the table from which he had come to the counter. Waverly looked in the indicated direction and her eyes were returned by four bright pairs of eyes. The guys definitely had enough drunk and this would be the last round they would get at Shorty's.

"Five beers. I'll bring 'em over," said Waverly and began to fill the first glass.

"No, that's all right." Pete waved. "But if you bring yourself a beer, you're welcome to stay with us for a while."

"Pete, you see how full it is today." Waverly pointed with her left hand to the crowded tables as she put the first full glass in front of Pete on the counter. Perfectly poured, as always.

"But there's your little friend, she can work without you for ..." Pete seemed disappointed. Once again got a rebuff from Waverly Earp.

"No, Pete, she can't." Waverly put the second glass on the counder. "I work here, Pete, I'm not here for fun, just like you. Take the two glasses and go over there, I'll catch up with the other three." Reluctantly, Pete took the beer and strolled to his friends.

"If they drink, they think they are irresistible." Rosita was close behind Waverly. "Just ignore him."

Waverly knew Pete. He had often tried to invite her to a date. Back when she broke up with Champ, Pete was one of the first who had talked to her. But none of the guys had a chance with her. Because at that time her heart already belonged to another person without her being aware of it.

"Waverly. Waverly !" The wooden doors of Shorty's were abruptly pushed open and Jeremy stormed in. "Waverly !"

If Waverly had held a glass in that moment, she would surely have dropped it. Some of the guests turned their heads and stared at Jeremy as if he were an alien. Jeremy seemed to have forgotten the time again. This often happened to him when he was absorbed in his work. He still wore his white lab coat and seemed completely dissolved. It didn't bother him that everybody would start him. However, as he came to Waverly, he looked more like Dr. Emmett Brown from "Back to the Future". Only the hair didn't blow around his head.

"Waverly, where is Wynonna ?" Jeremy was completely out of breath. Had he run this far all the way from the Sheriff's Department ?

"Jeremy, calm down and catch your breath." Waverly had walked around the counter and received the young scientist. "What happened then ?" Waverly spoke in a calm voice. She knew she wouldn't hear Jeremy's reasonable words while he was so excited. The two went back to the small kitchen of the bar.

"I tried to call Wynonna and Dolls but the both didn't answer their phone." Jeremy spoke quickly. "I have information about the Revenant they are hunting."

"What ?" Waverly took a step backward.

"Yeah, important information. Vital information."

"No, I don't mean that. They are following a revenant and nobody is telling me anything? Am I also part of the team ?" Waverly was upset and disappointed at the same time. Her sister went in search of a revenant. Alone. Well, not all alone but just without her. Waverly had felt like an equal member of the team over time. Her research into the killings of Wyatt Earp was excellent. And not only that, Waverly didn't need her papers to pass on information. She knew all that. Every detail of the potential revenants she had stored in her brain. That was better than a file that could be lost or a homepage that couldn't be uploaded. When they were on the road, she always had all the information she needed at hand. But now her skills weren't enough for Wynonna.

Without making any sense, Wynonna opened the door and entered the kitchen. Followed by Dolls and Doc.

"Thanks God, nothing happened to you." Jeremy wanted to get straight to Doc Holliday but was held back at his forearm by Waverly. She tilted her head to one side and scowled at Wynonna.

"Been successful ?" Waverly pressed out the words between her lips.

"No. We lost the track, no idea what that thing is supposed to be. First, we see it, then, it's gone. And as a 'thing-detector', the Peacemaker doesn't use anything." Wynonna skillfully ignored her little sister's gaze. She could well imagine what the problem was.

"Okay, well this thing is really amazing and you're lucky you're still alive." Jeremy talked again without thinking.

"Oh, really ? Well, if that's the case, maybe I should look for a bottle of whiskey to celebrate the day." Wynonna looked around but alcohol was only at the bar.

And again the door opened.

"Is this your new office now ? Get out of here ! Work is underway here." Rosita gradually looked everyone in the eye. "Waves, would you help me, please, is getting really full." Rosita smiled at the young Earp and disappeared back into the bar.

"You can go upstairs if you don't want to go back to the Sheriff's Department."

"If you would set us a table, I wouldn't have to take the whiskey upstairs." Wynonna cast her pleading gaze which had never worked at Waverly.

"If you think I'm throwing out guests for you ... Forget it !" Waverly's mood was still not better. "But if you find a free seat, you're welcome to take it. You'll take whatever you want."

Wynonna raised her eyebrows and glanced at Jeremy and then back to Waverly.

"You're right, babygirl." Wynonna turned and walked through the door. The rest of the group followed her. Only Waverly stayed in the kitchen and waited a few seconds. It took her a moment to switch back to Shorty's-work-mode. Then she followed the others.

~~~

"Finished ?" Adam packed his empty cardbox into a bag and handed it to Eve.

"Not quite yet, thank you." Eve took the bag and placed it next to her feet.

"Advantage of the fork : you're done with eating faster." Adam looked at his watch and nodded.

"Clearly a chopstick 1 – fork 0 ... I can enjoy my Gong Bao chicken much longer." With relish, Eve ate the last noodles and took extra time. Adam shook his head with a smile.

"What did I deserve you for ?"

"If I remember correctly, it was something about a scaly guy, after six months of searching you finally found him and then you just let him go." Eve looked challengingly at her partner. She knew it wasn't Adams fault that this demon had escaped him. The BBD had hidden from him one or the other detail about his goal which resulted in Adam being surprised by his ability to disguise.

"Well, that's not how it was." Adam had barely survived the attack at that time and was hospitalized for nearly twelve weeks. When he was operational again, Eve was assigned to him.

Eve got out of the car and dumped the remains of their food in the trash can next to the restaurant where they ordered the food.

"Can we go now ?" Adam drummed his forefingers on the steering wheel.

"I didn't expect you to spend an evening with me in a bar so much." Eve got back in and fasten her seat belt. "We can go."

Adam started the engine and headed for Shorty's. Eve was looking forward to the evening.

~~~

Wynonna stood in the middle of Shorty's and looked around. Which table would be the most enjoyable ? She had quickly discovered Pete, sitting at a table with friends, drinking beer and laughing. Yeah, Pete was the perfect victim. Wynonna grinned. The fun could begin.

"Oh, hey, Pe-ete."

"Wynonna !" Petes laugh stopped abruptly.

"Are these your friends ?" Wynonna showed in the round. "Hi, you have a really cool friend, you know that ?" She reached with her right hand Pete's left shoulder and buried her fingers in his muscles. Pete inhaled a hissing breath and tried to avoid her grip.

The table was quiet.

"I like him. He always took a special care of us Earps. Remember, at school, so you and your best friend, Champ, took good care for my little sister. You didn't take your eyes off her. Right ?" Wynonna tightened her grip.  
"And when she broke up with Champ, you were immediately on hand to comfort her which was very nice of you." Wynonna let him go and hit him instead a little stronger on the back. None of his friends had said anything. They just watched in horror as Wynonna grabbed one of the glasses and drank it empty.  
"Oh, and a few months ago you suddenly stood in my apartment with me to 'save' me from some crazy guys." Wynonna took the next glass in her hand.  
"You had such strange scratches on your face but nothing could stop you from coming to me." She turned to Pete's friend.  
"Without him I wouldn't be alive today." At the word 'him', she pointed her right hand at Pete and dumped the glass so the beer ran over Pete's shirt and pants.

"Are you crazy ?" Pete jumped up. But no friend dared to move.  
"What's that, Wynonna ? Are you totaly nuts ?" Pete pushed the chair he was sitting on back and took a step to one side. He seemed to think for a moment if he should mess with Wynonna Earp. But he wisely decided against it.  
"Let's go." Slowly Pete's friends got up and headed for the exit.

"Yeah, go ahead. We'll not need your help today." Wynonna kept her eyes on the group of young men until they left Shorty's. Then she turned to the counter and called to Waverly :  
"I found a free table." Her sister didn't understand a word but she had seen everything and Wynonna's wide grin made it clear that she was proud of her good work. Waverly look a tea towel and went to Wynonna and began to wipe the table.

"No matter what you said to them, never do that again ! They were paying guests, unlike you."

Waverly turned and was about to go back to the counter when Wynonna slapped her butt. Waverly shook her head and just kept walking.

Doc, Dolls and Jeremy came to Wynonna's table and sat down. They were followed by Rosita who put two beers and two whiskeys on the table und left. Shorty's wasn't perfect for a meeting but the prospect of free drinks kept Wynonna from going to the office.

"So, Jeremy, what was that thing we were following and why were we lucky we survived it ?"

Jeremy looked around and then moved his chair closer to the table. Before he started speaking, he leaned his upper body conspiratorially across the table.

"That 'thing' as you call it. It's a hybrid. Something like Dolls." Jeremy looked up at the Marshal.  
"Excuse me. What I mean is that I've seen something like this before. Well, not really but one of the BBD labs experimented on such a 'thing' with attempts to connect human and animal DNA. The substance you brought me ... I examined it. I'm glad that you occasionally follow the police's evidence-based approach and use gloves and lockable containers." Wynonna had no idea what Jeremy was talking about and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"At the gas station, I found such a sticky substance, collected it and brought it to Jeremy." Dolls clarified to Wynonna.

"Oh, okay. And I suppose it wasn't a frosting with sprinkles." Wynonna emptied her glass in one go, lifted the glass and beckoned to Rosita who immediately understood what the older Earp wanted.

"Frosting ? Not really. The substance was human and amphibious DNA but the main component of the substance was Batrachotoxin." Three confused pairs of eyes looked at Jeremy.  
"This is a highly potent neurotoxin produced by the Phyllobates terribilis."

"Very interessting, Jeremy, but is there a subtitle explanation for non-scientists ?"

"This is a very small, gold-colored frog, the so-called 'Golden poison arrow frog'. When that poison enters your bloodstream, nobody can help you anymore." Jeremy took a long drink of his beer.  
"This toxin causes the paralysis of the muscles which can lead to respiratory paralysis or cardiac arrest."

"Okay, so, we better not get bitten which will not happen to us unless we find him. Jeremy ? Any guess where he could hide ?" Dolls was focused on the goal : finding and eliminating the target.

"No, you don't understand yet. This frog is a passive poison transmitter – it's enough if you touch it. The poison is spread on his skin and not stored in fangs." It was clear from Jeremy's voice that he found this theme very interesting and probably could have talked about it for hours.

Rosita had stood beside the table and waited until there was a short break. Then she put a glass in front of Wynonna on the table. "Can I also bring you something ?"

The boys all shook their heads, only Wynonna answered the black-haired bartender.

"For me one more or, better, the whole bottle. Jeremy talks to us in JeremEnglish, maybe I'll understand him better if I have drunk a bit more."

Rosita nodded. She knew Jeremy. And when he got into something, he talked like he was talking to colleagues. Rosita didn't mind, she understood a lot but for Wynonna it was like talking in hierglyphics.

Rosita leaned on the counter with her right hand and reached up with her left arm to retrieve one of the bottles from the shelf. As she did so, her shirt pushed up and a soft warm hand lay on the vacant part of her back.

"What they talking about ?" Waverly noddod toward Wynonna.

"Something about frogs." Rosita held the bottle in her hand and shrugged before returning to the table.

"Frogs ?" Waverly didn't have much time to brood because the next guest already wanted to be served.

Jeremy had waited until Rosita put the whiskey bottle right next to Wynonna's glass and left.

"So, Jeremy, now we can go on. How and where can we find this ... this human flycatcher ?" Wynonna didn't wait for Jeremy to answer but while still asking the question, opened the bottle and filled her glass.

"Okay, so, these animals need at least a temperature of 26°C and a humidity of 80-90% which means that he has to find some place here that meets these requirements. Probably the numbers are not quite right, after all, he's a human-amphibian hybrid. But I'd look for him in a cave." To substantiate his suspicion, he made a serious face and nodded slowly.

"Cave ? Okay, that cannot be that hard." Wynonna got up and knocked over her chair. Ignoring the chair, she took her glass, emptied it for the fourth time, and then made it loud on the table.

"We'll grab the Hyrb ... Hydra ... that quaking hops and kill him."

"Oh, uhm ... one more thing : these animals are actually group animals which means there may be more of them where he's hiding."

"Roger that. Cave. Group. Poison. Don't touch. We should wear whole-body condoms. Maybe some with pimples. The whole thing is supposed to be a bit of fun." Wynonna looked at Dolls and laughed at her joke but she was the only one who found it funny.

"Party pooper. Okay, okay, this is serious. Could we go now before I forgot everything ?" Without waiting for an answer, she headed for the door. Dolls and Doc exchanged looks. Without saying a word, it was clear that Doc would stay at Shorty's and Dolls would be with Wynonna. Dolls followed Wynonna to the door.

Doc put one hand on the young scientist's shoulder.

"Well done, Jeremy."

Jeremy's serious face turned into a grin that almost reached from one ear to the other. A compliment from Doc Holliday was the biggest compliment to the young man.

Wynonna pushed the wooden door to Shorty's and stepped outside. Closely followed by Dolls.

"Ey ..." Wynonna, in her haste, almost collided with a couple just about to enter Shorty's, just stopping and waiting for the two to pass her, then searching for the black SUV that was standing somewhere near the bar.

"Sure, we should do that now ?" Dolls seemed worried now.

"Yeah, the gun oil is for my little friend here, what whiskey is for the little Wynonna. Okay, that sounded a bit ambiguous now. What I meant is that I work better with whiskey than without it." She had found the SUV und headed straight for it.

"You drive."

"Yeah, who else ? And where ?"

"Out of the city," answered Wynonna shortly.

"Out of the city ? Maybe get it a little more ... inaccurate ?" Dolls shook his head, opened the driver's door and got behind the wheel. Wynonna also got in and made a thoughtful face.

"To where we lost track, from there we have to think about where he might have disappeared." Wynonna seemed to be thinking hard. Where could there be caves near Purgatory ? She had no idea.

Dolls started the engine and drove off. He doubted it was a good idea to go anywhere without a plan. He trusted Wynonna und knew she wouldn't disappoint but secretly he hoped their search would be fruitless this time.


	15. Chapter 15

#  Chapter 15

The few minutes to Shorty's were silent. Adam parked the car near the bar. But before leaving the car, Adam turned back to his partner.

"Ready ?"

"Yeah." After a brief pause, Eve added, "We don't have to start a brawl, right ?"

"Why should we ?" He looked at her in confusion.

"Isn't that part of an evening in a bar ? Just look for the one who drank the most and fight with him ?"

Adam shook his head. "Have you ever been in a bar ?"

"No, but I have a feeling I should have kept my chopsticks."

"Okay, so I'm leaving now, you're welcome to sit here and mourn your chopstick ..." Adam opened his door and got out of the car.  
"Mourning phase over ?" he said over the roof of the car to Eve who had also got out.

"I don't need chopsticks to defend myself, I have them." She held up her index fingers and smiled.

"I know seven ways to kill someone with my index finger."

"Wow ... Almost as impressive as your chopsticks technique." Adam locked the car and headed for the door of the bar.

"Okay, maybe there are only three ways but that's really impressive."

"Come ?"

Eve took a few quick steps and was then level with her partner. The last meters they walked side by side without saying another word. Adam was about to open the door when it was pushed open and a young woman came out.

"Ey ..." The woman just stopped in the middle of the way and waited. Eve and Adam immediately recognized Wynonna. Both smiled at her and then passed her by. Behind them, the door closed. Eve and Adam looked at each other. Both, Wynonna and Xavier Dolls weren't at Shorty's tonight.

Eve opened the inner door to the bar and immediately they took the distinctive smell of almost every bar. 'So that's what end of work smells like ?' Eve thought. At that moment, she was glad she was almost always working around the clock.  
She remembered this morning when she met Waverly Earp. She described Shorty's as a bar that smelled of wood polish, stale beer, and cold cigarette smoke. And she was absolutely right.

Shorty's was already quite full. Most of the tables were full, some men sat directly at the bar, others played pool or darts. Eve looked for a vacant seat.

"Hi." Eve knew tht voice. "You really came and you're accompanied."

"Hey. Earp ? Right ?"

"Waverly, but yeah, Earp is right. But unfortunately I cannot remember your name." Waverly made an apologetic face and shrugged.

"Eve. And this is my brother, Adam."

Adam reached out and only then noticed that Waverly held empty beer glasses in each hand and couldn't shake his hand.

"Hi," Waverly said instead with a slight smile. "You're probably looking for places. Difficult at this time." Waverly looked around for a moment. Then an idea came to her.

"I'll bring these to the kitchen and then I'll take you to a table with some of my friends. Be right back." Waverly went back to the bar kitchen and was back seconds later.

Eve and Adam felt a bit out of place. Normally they wouldn't go to such a bar but it would be fine for one evening.

"Okay, this way." Waverly went forward and Eve and Adam followed her to the table where Doc and Jeremy were still sitting.

Waverly stopped in front of the table and pointed at the two men. "These are my friends, John Henry and Jeremy Chetri." Then she pointed to the two strangers. "And this is Eve and ... Adam."

Doc had gotten up and taken off his hat. Jeremy looked at him confused from his chair until he understood and stood up too.

"Gentlemen of the old school. That's kind of nice and unfamiliar." Eve smiled at Doc.

"Then, ma'am, you spend your time with the wrong company." Doc waited for Eve to sit down and then sat down again. Also Jeremy and Adam did it in the same.

"What can I get you ?" Waverly had waited until the general greeting was over before she asked.

"For me, beer, and for my brother a glass of milk. He cannot stand alcohol." Eve couldn't resist this swipe.

"Very funny. For me also beer." Adam nodded to Waverly.

"Okay, so two beers." Waverly turned and walked over to one of the next tables to get an order there and then set to work.

~~~

"Strangers ?" Rosita had noticed, despite all the work, that Wavely had taken care of the two newcomers.

"Yeah. I met Eve earlier this morning, she got lost." Waverly remembered the brief conversation with Eve outside the diner and smiled.

"Eve ? Got lost ? In Purgatory ? But she found the way to Shorty's, quite be accident ? During your shift ?" Rosita poked her shoulder lightly against Waverly's and smiled.

"No, it's no coincidence. I invited her." Waverly winked at Rosita and picked up two full beer glasses.  
"That's called word of mouth, we need paying guests." Waverly went to her friend's table.

"Nicole will not like that." Rosita looked after her colleague who, with her usual smile, crossed Shorty's and put the glasses on the table.

"If you want something ... just let me know." Waverly went back to the bar and filled the next glasses for the other tables.

In contrast to the rest of the guests in Shorty's which became increasingly funnier and louder, it was rather quiet at the table of the four. Nobody knew exactly how to start a conversation.

"You bring your work to Shorty's while everyone else celebrates ?" Eve pointed to the papers lying on the table in front of Jeremy. When he realized what Eve was alluding to, he picked up the documents quickly and put them in his bag.

"Just a little hobby of mine." Eve hadn't overlooked that among the documents was one that bore the black star of the BBD. Prior to their arrival at Shorty's, a briefing was presumably held there, as a result of which Wynonna Earp and Xavier Dolls probably started the hunt for a revenant.

Doc put his arm around Jeremy's shoulders.

"Our young friend here is a scientist and he works 24 hours a day." There was much pride in Doc's voice. Jeremy smiled shyly.

"Scientist ?" Eve knew exactly who Jeremy was and what he did for the group around Wynonna Earp. Jeremy Chetri – many would call him a nerd but he was just awesome. There was hardly anything in the sciences that he didn't know. He could handle pencils and maps as well as modern equipment such as a laser-optical coherence tomographer. He was certainly an asset to the team.

"Specialty ?"

"Oh, he cares about everything," Doc replied even before Jeremy could open his mouth.

"Well," Jeremy began, embarrassed, "if you ask me something and I don't know the answer, I'll find out, it's not that I'm interested in anything, it's more challenging to find the answer. If there is an answer then I'll find it." Pride flickered in the brown eyes of the young man. The BBD recognized its potential early and put him into service. There was no doubt about his abilities.

The evening was going on like this. Guests came and left. In the meantime Waverly had to replace the empty beer keg with Docs help. Good for Shorty's – there was a lot of drinking. The later it became, the more Waverly and Rosita kept an eye on the guests who had already drunk a little too much. But not only the guests were watched ...

Rosita stepped on the bar behind Waverly and poked her playfully.

"You know that you are being watched ?"

"What ?" The young Earp was slightly confused. They had so much to do that she hadn't noticed anything yet.

"Seriously ? You are clearly too long together with your redhead if you don't notice !" At Waverly's reaction, Rosita could see that something was wrong.

"What's up, sweetheart ?" But Rosita didn't get an answer. Instead, Waverly disappeared with four glasses toward the pool table.

"Last round for you guys, you know why." Waverly was about to go back to the bar when one of the players held her by the waist and pulled her over.

"If it's the last round, you'll keep us company."

Waverly put her hands on his chest and tried to move away from him. That, however, only caused him to tighten his grip.

"Come on, Dave, let her go and keep playing. It's your turn." The other players waited unpatiently for their friend to continue the game. Whatever he did – just another game.

"I know that," he replied, turning to Waverly, "and you know that too, right ?" He shoved Waverly against the pool table, pressed his body against hers and tried to kiss her. But before he even came near her lips, someone grabbed his right arm and turned it on his back. Dave cried out in pain and his friends started to laugh. It was neither Doc nor any other male guest. No, it was a young woman with short black hair who stood behind him and who, out of pure pleasure, pushed his arm a little higher.

"If you want to play pool with your friend someday, you should now pay the bill and go." Eve pushed Dave away from Waverly and then his upper body forward on the table so that his face lay on the green fleece. Eve's grip was so tight that the young man couldn't fight back, so one hand was enough to fix him. Eve grabbed one of the balls with her free hand and let it roll slightly against Dave's forehead.

"This ball will say 'hello' to your friend's face until you pay. So it would be better if you hurry." Eve smiled at the guys and let the ball roll against Dave's forehead a second time.

"Go on, do it !" Dave cried out as the ball left Eve's hand a third time and hit his forehead.

"Hm, maybe next time I should target the nose." First Eve made a thoughtful face and then looked directly into the eyes of one of the young men. "What do you think ? Nose or eye ?" Eve's smile widened. This game was obviously a lot of fun for her.

Waverly had recovered from the first shock. She put a hand on Eve's forearm and signaled her to stop. She didn't want anyone get hurt in Shorty's. And certainly not a young man who probably wouldn't know tomorrow what he had done.

"Okay. That's good. I'll pay everything." One of Dave's friends pulled his purse from one of his back pockets and went with Waverly to the bar to pay the bill. Meanwhile, Eve released Dave's arm. But she wasn't done with him yet. She waited until he turned around and stood directly in front of her. Then she looked him in the eyes, leaned over and began whispering something in his ear.

"If you touch her like that again, it will be your last pool game." Eve spoke very slowly. Her smile was gone and her eyes had darkened. Dave felt only Eve's breath on his skin but that was enough to make him shiver. He understood what she wanted to say to him and believed her.  
One of the other men still standing at the table wanted to help Dave. He walked slowly around the table and reached for a billiard cue. He stood on the other side of Dave so that Eve couldn't actually see him. Still, she was faster than he, as if she had sensed what he was up to. She pushed Dave aside, grabbing the billiard cue, lifting it up and pounding him against the man's chest. He staggered backwards and fell to the ground. The three remaining men now all took a step towards Eve.

"Guys, I don't wanna hurt you."

The pool table now seemed to be in limelight. All faces had turned to the group. Doc wanted to get up but Adam stopped him.

"She can do it alone." Adam's face seemed almost emotionless.

"That's five against one, a woman ! You don't wanna help your sister ?"

"She interfered and then she will have to solve the problem on her own." Adam knew that Eve would also win against ten of these young men. He hoped, however, she was smart enough to avoid a fight.

Reluctantly, Doc sat down again. A woman denying a fight against five men and just watching was against his principles.

Waverly, too, had seen the situation threaten to escalate. She took the man's money, put it in the cast register, and walked around the counter back to the pool table. Once there, she stood next to Eve and put a hand on her back to calm her. She clearly felt the tense muscles.  
Eve didn't move. She just stood there with the billiard cue in her hand.

"Your bill is paid. You can go now." Waverly didn't speak very loudly, yet her voice filled the room. The conversations at the other tables had stopped and everyone was waiting to see what would happen next.

It was probably the happiest day in the lives of the young men without them being aware of it. Because they made the right decision. They helped their friend get up and left Shorty's without any further blows. Eve looked after them and didn't put down the billiard cue until the doors of the bar closed. Immediately the talks started again at the tables and everything seemed as if nothing special had happened.

"Eve ?" Waverly's hand was still on Eve's back. Slowly, she led Eve to the bar. "You didn't have to to that. I would have done it on my own." Waverly stood upright to make in clear that she could very well defend herself.

Eve smiled. "I had no doubt about that but it was funnier. So, next time, he'll think twice about deciding for you or the beer." Eve sat down on a free bar stool. Although Waverly's hand was no longer on her back, Eve could still feel it very clearly like a burn that still hurt even after the fire was long gone.

"Funny ? That wasn't funny ! That could have ended up really bad "! Waverly had no understanding for such ill-considered actions. She couldn't even need someone like her older sister Wynonna who voluntarily put herself in a dangerous situation.

"Okay, you're right. And I didn't mean to undermine your authority here in Shorty's. So, I think people know very well that you can defend yourself. No one got up, everyone just looked over and knew that you can handle it by yourself."

Waverly looked around the bar. Everything has calmed down and everybody was busy with himself again. She too, trying to hide her emerging embarrassment and red cheeks from Eve.

From the other end of the counter, Rosita answered and swept a glass of whiskey to Eve.

"It's on me. As thanks for saving the maiden." From Waverly, Rosita earned a glare for the last sentence and a heartfelt laugh from Eve.

"Thanks. I like to accept it." Eve looked at Waverly, lifted the glass and emptied it in one go. The golden liquid burned in her throat, leaving a pleasant warmth in her body. Whiskey wasn't really Eve's taste. But she hadn't reckoned it was doing so well right now.

"One more ?" Rosita had obviously liked the idea of spending drinks.

"No thanks." Eve raised a hand in dismissal. "That's very nice but I don't know if there's a maiden left to justify the second whiskey." Now Eve also got a scrowl from Waverly.

Eve raised both hands apologetically. "Okay, no more kidding. But I still have one question."

"Questions are allowed." Waverly tried to stay serious which wasn't easy.

"Where's the restroom ?" Waverly pointed to the back of the bar. Eve got up and walked in the direction indicated.

Rosita turns to Waverly.

"Ooo-kay. She's cute and you flirt with her which means there's something wrong with you and Nicole." Rosita looked inquiringly at the young Earp, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I have to ..." Waverly turned to go to an imaginary guest as Rosita held her by the arm.

"Oh no, not again. You cannot always run away."

"I don't run away, I work." Waverly broke Rosita's grip and walked to one of the tables.

~~~

Eve stood in front of one of the mirrows, had turned on the water and supported herself with both hands on the sink.

"You should keep your hands off the whiskey." Adam had also entered the restroom and watched his partner.

"I know. Why doesn't anyone warn me that this stuff is burning holes in my stomach ?" Eve put her hands under the cold water, waited for a while and then cooled her face with the water.

"You eat the chili peppers in the Gong Bao chicken but whiskey isn't your thing ? You keep puzzling me." Adam smirked. "But, I think, you have the Earp on your side. Don't screw it up." Adam always had a good sense of what words one shouldn't pronounce at the end of a conversation. But that honest way Eve liked about him. She dried her hands and face and then went back to the bar. She was about to go back to the table when her eyes met Waverly's. Without waiting for a response from Eve, Waverly put a full glass of beer on the counter in front of the empty chair. Eve didn't think long and headed for the counter.

"Is this one also on you ?" Eve sat down and tilted her head to one side.

"No. It was meant to be bait only. It worked."

"Yeah. It does. But it wasn't necessary." Eve raised the glass und drank. Definitely better than whiskey.

For the next two hours Waverly served the guest and talked to Eve in between.

"Earp like Wyatt Earp ?" Eve asked.

"Yeah. He was my great-great-granddaddy." Waverly pulled on one of the tabs and filled a glass with practiced hands.

"I'm assuming that you're being asked that by any stranger but you really don't want to talk about it because you're Waverly, not Wyatt, and most of all, you're not a gunslinger." Eve pointed to all the old photos on the walls. "Are these all original photos ?"

"Yeah, most of them are originals. It took a while to find them. But it's the charm of the bar. You can drink where Wyatt Earp drank." Waverly smiled. "Oh man, I've said that so many times."

"And you'll probably say that many more times."

Waverly pointed to the three full glasses in front of her. "I'll bring them to the table. I'll be right back."

When Waverly wanted to go back to the bar, she was stopped by Rosita. "I don't feel good about your new friend. There's something wrong with her and her brother. And Nicole would certainly agree." Rosita spoke softly and Waverly rolled her eyes at Nicole's name.

"Seriously ? Come on, Rosi. I have a good knowledge of human nature and I'm telling you that everything is alright. I think she's interested in the story of Wyatt like most of those passing through, she just asks me about him. So don't worry, it's all right." Waverly touched Rosita's hand with which she still held Waverly by the forearm. Rosita took a deep breath.

Waverly winked at Rosita and walked back to the counter.

"As far as knowledge of human nature is concerned, I have a few decades ahead of you." Rosita skook her head and continued to serve the guest.

She used every spare second to watch Eve.  
Eve, however, kept looking at the table with Adam, Doc and Jeremy.

It couldn't be said that it had been an animated conversation but Adam seemed to have a good connection to Jeremy. Doc Holliday, on the other hand, was leaning back in his chair, a whiskey glass in his right hand. He watched the guests carefully, as did Eve. Occasionally their eyes met, and Doc then sneered at her with his half-full glass and nodded.

Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp's best friend, one of the most famous gunslingers. Actually, he would have had die of tuberculosis 130 years ago but her was still alive. Cursed as the Earp family, he had spent many decades in darkness. Now he was back and fighting on the side of Wynonna Earp. The circle closed.

Adam glanced at his watch. It was already close to midnight. Some guests had already left Shorty's or were waiting for their last order. It had become much calmer. Even Jeremy didn't talk as much as at the beginning. This one glass of beer had left its mark on him. He sat on his chair and smiled to himself, for no reason at all.

"Come on, Jeremy, I'll take you home." Doc straightened his hat, got up and helped Jeremy to take his bag and get up as well.

"Doc, you're just the best. We should do that a lot more often, drink something, I mean."

"We will. But for today it's over. Do you have all your stuff ?" Doc made sure none of the documents were on or under the table. Adam was also up.

"It was nice to meet you." Adam shook hands with Doc. Then he turned to Jeremy. "And you should go on with what you do, you seem to be good at it."

Jeremy seemed to grow up five inches with pride at that moment. He knew his work had been helpful in fighting demons in the past few weeks but a little recognition was great.

"See you, stranger." Jeremy clapped Adam on the shoulder, waved to Waverly and Rosita, then headed up the four steps to the exit. The two women waved him back smiling and said goodbye to Doc with a short nod. Doc tapped his hat and grabbed Jeremy's arm just in time as he stumbled over the last step.  
They all knew how the young scientist reacted to alcohol or energy drinks and that it probably was better now when he was brought home. And who could do that better than Doc ?

Adam had sat down again. Rosita went to his table.

"Can I bring you something before we close the bar ?" Rosita had her businesslike smile on her face.

"No thanks."

"Your sister ?" Rosita hadn't missed the short answer.

"Excuse me ? Oh, yeah. Eve." Adam looked briefly at Rosita and then back towards the bar.

Rosita's narrowed. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't as it seemed to be.

"You both don't look alike." Rosita continued to drill. If Waverly had also tried to make her understand that there was nothing out of the ordinary with these two strangers, Rosita continued to disagree.

"We hear that more often. That is probably a whim of nature."

Adam finished his glass and handed it to Rosita. Without another word, Rosita went to the small kitchen to put down the empty glasses.

Adam got up, went to the counter and stood next to Eve.

"I think we should go gradually."

Waverly raised an eyebrow.

"I can drive your sister to the motel later if you're worried about her safety."

Eve smiled.

"That's a very nice offer but he's right. It's late .. I've stayed longer than I wanted but I just couldn't part with the nice company."

"I had no idea you had a good time with the tab but it'll be back tomorrow so if you want to continue your conversation with it, just come back tomorrow." Inviting smile, bright eyes, anything but a commitment would have been inappropriate now.

"It'll be set up. See you tomorrow. I suppose you have the late shift again."

"Yeah, just like today. I'm looking forward to see you tomorrow." The two young women shook hands, a little longer than necessary.

"What do we owe you for the drinks, Miss Earp ?" Adam caught Waverly's attention.

"They're all on me today. As a small thank you to your sister helping me with that pushy guy and to you for having a nice chat with Jeremy."

"No w... !" Eve got up from her barstool, stepping on Adam's foot. Then she turned to Waverly.

"That's very nice of you. Thank you. See you."

Eve slowly turned around and headed for the exit. After a short nod, Adam followed her.

After the doors closed behind them, Eve and Adam made their way to their car.

"For not drinking anything, you have done well today." Adam pulled the key out of his pocket and opened the driver's door.

"'Done well' ? I feel like I'm going on cotton wool, my fingers are tingling and my throat is still burning from the last whiskey. Who actually invented that stuff ? That guy certainly had suicidal thoughts." Eve made a disgusted face, whiskey would never count among her favorites.

"One thing is for sure ... you'll sleep well tonight."

~~~

Adam remembers his first hangover and the evening before.  
It was his first mission, his first official use of the service weapon, his first killing. Nothing can prepare you for the subsequent intoxication of feelings. The rushing adrenaline gives you the feeling of being high. You are completely turned on, your heart beats so hard that you almost get scared that it might jump out of your chest. Your hands are shaking with excitement. And then comes the awareness that you have killed a person, ended a life. This man was certainly a son, brother or maybe even father of someone and in just a single second you robbed this man of his family. Your stomach contracts and you feel sick. You almost have to vomit. Then come the doubts about the correctness of your own actions. Was it necessary to shoot ? Was I really in danger myself or did I act prematurely ? Am I a murderer now ?  
Adam could survive the following night only with alcohol. The voices in his head didn't calm him down ... only when he was completely drunk did silence come.

~~~

Eve and Adam had both opened their car door and leaned against the car. They looked at each other over the roof.

"Isn't that a beautiful night ? Actually you should enjoy it instead of going to sleep." Eve looked up. The night sky was cloudless and littered with an infinite number of small white dots. The stars sparkled wildly, bringing the sky to life over Purgatory.

"You saw him too, right ?" Adam should have known that she didn't miss the dark figure.

"Do you think he's as romantic as I am, taking a little night walk with us ?" Eve opened the glove compartment, took out her weapon, straightened up and turned toward the shadow.

"Let's just ask him." Adam walked around the car and followed Eve who was already on the street corner. The figure, leaning against the wall of the house, disappeared in the shadows between two buildings. Eve unlocked her weapon and increased her pace.

When she and her partner reached the alley between the houses, it was completely deserted.

"Where did he go ?" Eve searched the alley with her gun drawn but she couldn't find the shape or a way where it could have disappeared.

"Looks like there's no walk anymore." These few moments of tension had been enough to put Eve into professional working mode. However, she also knew that the effects of adrenaline will not last long.

"Let's go to the motel, the guy's gone and if he doesn't want us to find him, we probably will not." Eve put her gun in the waistband and went back to the car.

Arrived at the motel, Eve and Adam wished for a good night and closed the room door behind them.

Eve sat down on her bed – there it was again, this tingling sensation in her fingers. She looked around her dark room, it seemed smaller than this morning when she left. She closed her eyes and dropped back onto her bed. Even before she realized that that was a big mistake, she was already asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

# Chapter 16

"I can't see anything, lift me up!" The music was so loud that the little girl couldn't hear herself.

The man standing next to it leaned toward it.  
"I've seen what you ate this morning, you're too heavy!" Contrary to what the man had said he grabbed the girl with both hands, picked it up and and put it on his shoulders. A completely excited giggle showed him that it was exactly what the girl wanted.  
Now it was sitting up there and could look over all heads on the stage. The many colorful lights, the little fireworks on the edge ... it was just amazing.

The girl began to rock with excitement and immediately felt strong hands holding it feet to prevent it from falling. Now there was no stopping. It threw its hands up and moved them to the rhythm of the music.  
The red cheeks, the bright eyes, the wide smile ... at that moment the girl was the personified joy and bliss in a sea of people who felt exactly the same.

The girl could see the movement on the front of the stage in the crowd. Strangely, not in the direction of the stage but exactly in the opposite direction. Sporadic screams were heard that didn't match to those of the dancing people around them. They were shriller and ... just different. The grip on her feet loosened and the hands changed their position. The girl was dropped hard on the floor.

"Do not let go of my hand, okay ?!" The man's face had changed. A few minutes ago, he had smiled and lived the same joy as his niece, but now the smile was gone and replaced by a worried expression.

"Why aren't they making music anymore ? Where are we going ? I want the music again !"

"Stop doing that !" A strong jerk on her arm made the girl realize that her questions were unwanted. Tears came to her eyes. It didn't know what suddenly happened to it. People were crowding ever closer from all sides. And it seemed to get darker.

Suddenly the hands lost contact ... the girl stopped.

Right and left, people streamed past it. It just stood there, like a big sturdy rock in a raging river, the festivalgoers circling around like the water around the rock. Among all these many people, the girl was suddenly alone.

How the girl got to the edge of the crowd will probably remain a mystery.

When she was no longer surrounded by people, she started to run. Her survival instinct told her, "Run!" And that's exactly what she did. But not in the direction in which all others ran, but away from them. She ran and ran without looking back. Once or twice she fell over something lying on the ground. But she got up again and kept running.  
The voices, the footsteps ... everything became quieter and was replaced by the sounds of nature. She heard birds, the rustle of leaves, and water. A river ? She kept running. Yes, a river. The muddy ground under her feet slowed her pace until she stopped on the bank of the river. Her mouth was open and her eyes were staring at the other shore. The saving shore. She couldn't swim yet which at that moment prevent her from jumping into the cold water.  
Her breathing calmed down slowly. But she still couldn't move. A voice in her head told her to keep running ... on and on.

What was that strange smell ? And where did this light come from ? The girl didn't dare turn around. She took a step toward the river. And one more. Her right foot was almost touching the water when two strong hands held her back.

"I've got you, you're safe now !"

The girl turned, hoping to look into her uncle's face. But it wasn't her uncle but a face that she didn't know.

The man wore a uniform. He had now knelt to the girl and it could see over his shoulder where the glow and the strange smell had its origin.

Fire !

The policeman saw the horror in the small children's eyes that reflected the blazing flames. Tears run over the reddened and dirty cheeks and left their marks.

No one knew how long the girl had stood there on the shore. Dusk had already begun, The city's volunteer fire department had begun to fight the fire but it would take hours before the last flames would be extinguished.

The policeman took off his jacket and put it around the narrow shoulders of the frightened child. Fear ? No, actually he saw no fear in the little face. There was no expression at all. He took the child's cold hand and led it to the street where he put it in his patrol car. The child hadn't yet said a word but when he took off his Stetson and put it on the girl's head, a first smile crossed the dirty face. The eyes disappeared under the hat but at that moment this smile was everything ...

There would be nothing left of the music festival after the fire except ashes ... and this little girl.

The only survivor.

***

"You cannot sleep that deep." Adam's voice was hard to penetrate through the veil of Eve's dream. He knocked on the door several times then waited for a response.

It was just a dream. So real but only a dream. Right ? Eve sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. Only then did she realize that she had cried. Eve knew dreams could be very realistic but that had never happened before.

"It's almost 10 a.m. How long are you going to sleep ?" Adam knocked on the door again.  
Eve threw the covers aside and climbed slowly out of the bed. Barefood, in boxer shorts and t-shirt she went to the door and opened it.

"Good morning." Adam didn't wait until Eve bade him in. He just walked past her and sat down on a chair.

"You look bad."

"Thank you." Eve slammed the door and sat down on her bed. Her thoughts still revolved around this dream which seemed more like a memory to her.

"Shower and coffee will probably not be enough to put you back to normal ?"

Eve just sat on her bed and didn't actually listen to Adam. She saw him move his lips and look directly at her as he spoke but his words didn't reach her mind. She had no idea what he was saying.

After only a few moments, everything blurred before Eve's eyes. Her eyes wandered into space. She was back to the pictures from her dream.  
The stage, the fireworks, people, fire. Some of the faces Eve could see were distorted in panic, others seemed to be looking around. After friends, family members.

"Are you listening to me at all ?" Adam's voice sounded sharper than expected. He was standing right next to her with one hand on her shoulder. He knew Eve too well to be aware that something was wrong. He didn't wait for an answer from his partner before continuing.

"Either you do not sleep well for more than five hours or the last whiskey is heavy in your stomach – do you want to talk about it ?" It was one of the rare moments when Adam actually thought about Eve's well-being. He knew that Eve was not so easily intimidated ... when she sat in front of him with that look on her face, it was clear that something was going through her mind which moved her emotionally. She looked so fragile. Eve shook her head but then began to talk.

"Do you know this when you wake up from a dream and feel that it wasn't a dream at all ? You are awake, your eyes open but the dream still seems to go on, you can hear everything exactly, see it, feel it, smell it ..."

"You had such a dream ?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if it was really a dream. But it couldn't have been a memory ... I ..." Eve stopped. If it wasn't a dream or a memory ... what was it ?

Adam sat back on a chair. Too much closeness was inappropriate between partners, especially when it wasn't about professional matters.

"You know, in our dreams, we process everything that we perceive during the day, and in our sleep we connect it with memories, feelings, things that we've been told or that we've read or heard somewhere ... and with a lot of imagination. Some times our dreams are defaced but they can also become very realistic ... almost as real as real life."

"Yeah, I know. But ... since we were here in Purgatory, I've had three 'dream memories'. But I've never experienced those things. I mean, it cannot be memories and the faces, the people I've seen ... they're all unknown to me – and that dream was ... it was so realistic, I can still smell the fire."

"Fire ?"

"Yeah, and I still feel like I've been running through this mud, with each step it became harder to pull my feet out of the dirt to keep running. My lungs burning with the effort, and the tears ..." Eve wiped her cheek again with the palm of her hand. "What's wrong with me ?"

"And that's only since we're in Purgatory ?" In reply he received only a short nod. This Ghost River Triangle seemed to have an unexpectedly big impact on Eve.

"Can we talk about something else ? A little distraction would be good. What's up today ? Have you planned anything ?" Eve just didn't want to think about that dream anymore, and most of all, she wanted to get rid of the confusing imagines that floated in her head.

"I wanted to go to the Sheriff's Department again, talk to the sheriff about the accident report, our car, and this injured officer."

"Officer Haught is certainly at home. After the accident, the sheriff gave her a few days off to recover."

"Why am I not surprised that you know that ?" Adam raised an eyebrow and started to smile.

"I was drinking coffee with her. Already forgotten ? And I don't suppose she'll go back to the hospital." Eve smiled as well. It was no secret that she liked the officer.

"Give me 10 minutes then we can go." Eve and Adam got up at the same time.

"I'll give you 20 minutes. You'll need them. Meanwhile, I'll write a preliminary report and get some coffee if that's alright for you."

Without saying anything Eve pointed her index finger at the door and disappeared into the bathroom.  
Adam understood the silent clue and left the room with a smirk.

***

Eve was still smiling. Sometimes she forgot that Adam was just a co-worker, better said, her superior. But over time he had grown dear to her. She liked him and his idiosyncrasies it difficult for other people to make friends with him. If he ever did something like that.  
Eve hoped that Adam saw her as something of a friend. Emotions were actually a hindrance in their job but right now she could use a friend well.

"20 minutes ? I've never showered that long before." Eve undressed, turned on the water of her shower and stood under the cold stream of water. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. The water seemed to magically wash away the imagines of the previous night and her mind began to work as usual.

Ten minutes later, she jumped out of the shower and wrapped herself in one of the soft towels and went back to her room barefoot. They hadn't packed lots of luggage for their trip. Only the bare essentials ... and as she realized only now, she should soon find a laundrette. She took the last fresh things out of the closet and got dressed.  
15 minutes after Adam left her room there was another knock on the door. Eve was hoping for a hot coffee ...  
However, when Eve opened the door, not Adam stood before her but a figure who looked very much like the shadow she and Adam had followed into the alley last night.

"I think you lost this last night." Eve's guess was hereby confirmed. The deep voice didn't seem familiar to Eve and under the hat pulled down to his face Eve could almost see nothing of the face. The chin was unshaven, the skin on the neck wrinkled. The man was probably already around 60 years old, maybe even older.

"I don't think I lost that ... my star is still where it belongs." Eve tried to perceice more details of the man's face in order to recognize him later. But that was easier said than done. But she would remember his voice. She just had to make him talk a little more.

"Who are you and what do you want ?" Eve tried not to sound too demanding. But it didn't help. The man dropped the badge on the floor in front of Eve. The metal noise distracted Eve for a moment and when she looked up again the figure had disappeared.

"Great, and what do I do with this now ?" Eve knelt down and picked up the BBD badge.

"What are you doing with what ?" Eve started when she heard Adam's voice and let the mark fall to the ground again. She reached for it again and stood up.

"I just had a visit from our friend last night and apparently he can make himself invisible." Eve sounded annoyed, though more about herself and her inattention than about the fact that this guy had dared to appear in front of her room door, drop the badge and disappear without saying something helpful.

"I haven't seen anyone." Adam looked around. The grounds of the motel were deserted. The only thing moving was a cat chasing leaves in the motel parking lot, blown by the wind across the clear concrete surface ... a small bird on the roof of the motel watching the cat's pointless and unsuccessful endeavor ... the cars that drove past the motel. people and especially a tall, dark-clad figure couldn't be seen.

"I said he can make himself invisible." Eve smiled and nodded in the direction of the coffee. "Is that for me ?" She was about to reach for the steaming mug as Adam took a step backward.

"No, actually for me and the mysterious third party but since he has disappeared without a trace ... you can have his one." He took another step towards Eve and held the two coffee cups right under her nose. Eve inhaled the scent of fresh coffee and took one of the cups.

"We can go if you have nothing better to do." Eve knew that Adam didn't intend to come to her room to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee. They were in Purgatory to do something. And this thing needed flair and time. But that wasn't exactly what she had shown over the last ten minutes.

"All right, let's go. And take this one with you." Adam pointed to the badge, turned and started walking. Eve reached for her weapon which she had left on her bed when she opened the door for her 'partner' and turned out to be the shadow of yesterday. Only then did she realize that this situation could have gone bad. She wasn't usually so inattentive ... maybe still a consequence of the dream ? She had to find herself again as soon as possible.

She stepped outside, closed the door behind her and followed her partner who had already gone down the stairs at the end of the corridor.

***

Waverly was slowly awake. She had pulled the comforters up to her chin and cuddled up in it. She lay facing the window. The curtains were not quite drawn and a ray of sunshine directly hit her face. Slowly she turned to the other side and instinctively reached out her right arm to Nicole ... Nicole .... Waverly opened her eyes when she realized that Nicole wasn't lying next to her. No familiar warm body lying beside her, no breath flowing in and out rhythmically. She loved watching Nicole sleep.  
Sometimes a strand of Nicole's hair fell into her face which Waverly carefully brushed behind Nicole's ear. Depending on what Nicole dreamed, she frowned or pulled one corner of her mouth upwards. In very rare cases, Nicole also began to talk. However, Waverly could never understand what she said.

But now the other side of the bed was cold and empty. Waverly ran her hand over the pillow where usually Nicole's head was. Waverly closed her eyes again and saw Nicole's face right in front of her. Had she gone too far not wanting to see her for a while ? She certainly surprised Nicole with that and certainly hurt her too. The expression in Nicole's eyes and the tone in her voice as she left the homestead ... yet she loved Nicole with all her heart. Waverly knew that Nicole would always be something special as her "first" love, even if they should break up someday but that moment shouldn't have come yet. She still wanted to ...

"Babygirl !" Wynonna's voice filled the entire house. "You're probably not sleeping anymore, are you ?" Wynonna's footsteps were heard on the stairs.  
"I'm not going to knock so if you're busy, you should stop now." Seconds later Wynonna opened the door to Waverly's room.

"Good morning, Wynonna." Over time, Wynonna had developed a good sense of splitting in whenever Waverly and Nicole wanted time for themselves. There was nothing that she could interrupt today and yet Waverly felt somehow caught.

"You're alone, babygirl, where's your redhead gone ? Are you hiding her under the bed on front of me ? That wouldn't have been necessary, I'll know about you both for a while." Wynonna winked conspiratorially at her little sister and smiled crookedly.

"Wynonna." Waverly didn't have the nerve to talk to her older sister about Nicole. Wynonna, on the other hand, didn't want to finish the topic yet. Wynonna threw herself on the bed next to Waverly and stared up at the ceiling.

"You know, sometimes I don't understand why you like Nicole. She's so ... so ... not like you and me. Like us Earps. Though ... she's a good drinking buddy and she can shoot too. Not with Peacemaker but ... you know. And she has her funny moments."

Wynonna turned on her stomach. Even though she had a hard time, she tried to keep eye contact with Waverly.

"What skills she had in bed only you can judge."

"Wynonna, get out of here ! I'll change my clothes quickly and then we'll have breakfast. You definitely need a coffee, let's go out. Now." Waverly shook her head, smiling. Waverly knew that sometimes Wynonna could be insensitive. But she was her sister, she loved her and forgave her everything ... almost everything.

After Wynonna left the room and made her way downstairs, Waverly slipped out of bed and picked her favorite shirt out of the closet.  
Wynonna had reached the bottom by now. According to the sounds, she must have stumbled on the last steps and her subsequent cursing confirmed Waverly's guess.  
Waverly stuck her head through the door to see if everything was alright.

"Wyn, are you okay ?"

"Yeah, the stairs have moved. Are we here in Hogwarts or what ?" Wynonna staggered into the kitchen and sat down on the first chair she could find.  
Shortly afterwards, Waverly came into the kitchen. She wore a white cropped top and her favorite light blue jeans.

The next few minutes were silent. Waverly made breakfast for herself and Wynonna, consisting of coffee, black and strong, for her sister, and tea and some fruit for herself. Wynonna, however, sat on her chair, elbows propped on the table.

"Your coffee." Waverly put a cup of hot coffee in front of her sister who at first looked at Waverly then the cup with contempt but then took a long drink and with a sigh sat back in her chair. Waverly sat down to her and began to eat. She looked out the window. She would enjoy the weather until she went to Shorty's at noon and prepared everything for the evening business. Together with Rosita as in the last days. Her relationship with the Latina had changed a little after the kiss and the revelation of her revenant affiliation.  
Rosita had become part of Waverly's everyday life from day to day. As Doc's girlfriend she now worked at Waverly's side in Shorty's and as a graduate chemist she was responsible for making Doll's medications. Actually, Rosita was everywhere. Wynonna distrusted her from the beginning and the knowledge that Rosita, if only by a stupid coincidence, was one of the red-eyed revenants worsened the tensions between the two women even more. And the fact that she was Doc's girlfriend as well.

Waverly, however, got more and more used to Rosita's presence and meanwhile also enjoyed the conversations with her. They had become almost like friends who sometimes confided little secrets.

"What are you thinking about ?"  
Wynonna sounded surprisingly sober, only a little tired.  
"About what you said earlier about Nicole that she's not like us. And I think you're right ... I mean, that she is not like us. Maybe that's why we fit so well together for that reason."

"You mean because opposites attract each other ? Maybe I should try my luck with her ... nobody has less in common with her than me." Wynonna lifted her cup und took a sip. She didn't fail to notice that Waverly scowled at her, knowing that Wynonna was only joking.

"Do you know that your eye color darkens when you look at someone evil or is Miktian back ?"

Wynonna could see Waverly's jaw muscles twitch. She knew she only had to wait a few more seconds and her little sister would explode.

"I think a quick nap would be a good idea now." Wynonna got up, stretched and yawned. Then she walked slowly to the door where she turned around once more.

"Unlike your night, mine was exhausting."

Wynonna just managed to get her head to safety before a piece of banana hit the doorframe beside her. Waverly knew that Wynonna just wanted to tease her but right now she didn't want to talk about Miktian or Nicole. As far as Nicole was concerned, she had to sort out her own thoughts first before talking to anyone.

Should Wynonna actually go to sleep, Waverly would have a few hours rest. Perfect for distracting oneself from thinking about Nicole with some housework. She got up and picked up her cup. On the way to the door, she reached for her jacket, pulled it on and wrapped a pink wool scarf. A little fresh air would give her the energy to clean the kitchen what she wanted to do two days ago.

On the porch Waverly sat down on the old wooden bench that was already there when Waverly was still a child. Some things never change.  
For the next 15 minutes Waverly thought of absolutely nothing. Her gaze wandered over the estate, the barn, the driveway to the Homestead, the mountains, all the way up to the clouds that shaded the meadows with their shadows.  
Waverly might not be a real Earp but this was her home and she could not ask for a better sister than Wynonna.  
Waverly belonged here, same as this old bench she was sitting on.

***

"You're so quiet. What are you thinking about ?" Adam could imagine what was going on in Eve's head. He, too, couldn't stop thinking about who or what the dark figure could be.

"I cannot understand ... they found us ... and they also show it to us more than obviously, so we really can't overlook it but then they disappear again ... that was the third time ... Why don't they do anything ? Get us ... take us with them ... here in Purgatory no one would miss us yet, so why take this risk ?" Eve actually spoke more to herself but then she looked questioningly at Adam.

"Maybe they want to intimidate us, make us leave the city be ourselves." Adam exhaled audibly. He knew that his explanation was illogical. "I don't know what they are up to."

"Intimidating ? Seriously ? The guy last night we almost got caught ! And the pleasure would have been more on our side." Eve almost smiled triumphantly.

"Yeah, but we just had him almost." Adam's statement sounded more like a defeat.

It had to have been at least two different men according to the outward appearance. The first one Eve had seen in the diner was a little smaller than the other, with broader shoulders and a roundish face. Presumably he was younger too which was hard to tell because Eve had seen the second man's face very vaguely.  
Neither, however, had the charisma needed to act like a leader. They just seemed to be henchmen. But from whom ? Was your client also here in Purgatory ? That would definitely be an advantage for Eve and Adam. In order to put an end to the whole thing, it was necessary to catch the man in the background. Everything else was a waste of time.

"We're here. Would you like to talk to the Sheriff or would you rather watch and learn ?"

They knew weird things were going on in Purgatory but it was supposed to be due to the Earp curse and not the air or even the coffee served here.  
But since Adam was here in town, his behavior has been changing. Eve saw him smiling more and more often, especially when he was unobserved. And his comments occasionally had a funny undertone. It was not that Eve would disturb that, on the contrary, Adam was losing more and more the abstract construct of a disciplined, unfeeling service provider and becoming human again. The man Eve hoped he must have been. However, at the crucial moments he was still her reliable partner and that was a good thing.

"I always like to learn something new." Eve smiled at her partner.  
Adam raised his eyebrows and then opened the doors to the Purgatory Sheriff's Department.

***

Nicole had forced herself out of bed under the shower this morning and was now lying on the sofa in a blue shirt staring at the ceiling. She had searched in vain for her favorite shirt from the senior class of the Police Academy, until she remembered that she had last seen it at the homestead.  
Another day without being allowed to work. Another day without the usual routine which could be the personal boredom on some days but today would have been exactly the opposite for Nicole.

"Uh, CJ, you've already got your food what more do you want ?" Nicole sounded tired, annoyed and almost angry. Surprised by her voice, Nicole grabbed her beloved small tiger and hugged her tightly.

"I didn't mean it, I know what you want." Calamity Jane visibly enjoyed the embrace, began to purr and then lick Nicole's face.

"I'm glad to have you even if you sometimes rob me of the last nerve ... but I forgive you."

Nicole loved this cat above all else. She was something that Nicole enjoyed when she came home after a long and exhausting shift. Calamity Jane was Nicole's rock. With her she forgot all professional problems. And that was a good thing because these things had no place in their own four walls. At home Nicole was just Nicole and at work Officer Haught.  
Whether Calamity Jane loved Nicole in the same way would probably remain her little secret. CJ began to lick Nicole's shirt. But only seconds later, she stopped, burying her claws in the fabric and mumbled.

"I know, CJ, you don't like the shirt either." Nicole scratched CJ behind the right ear and the cat snuggled her head into Nicole's hand.

"I think we need your favorite shirt back." Nicole reached for her cell phone that was on the coffee table. She scrolled through the contacts and then tapped the name Waverly Earp.

Call or write ?

Nic : Hi. Could I come over later and pick up some things ?

Nicole looked at her cell phone. She saw some small dots appearing behind Waverly's name several times, indicating that she was writing an answer. Then the dots disappeared and reappeared shortly thereafter. A short beep confirmed receipt of an answer.

Waves : I have to go to Shorty's. But you can pick up the things there.

Nicole had hoped to get a quick response from Waverly, but it looked like Waverly had been waiting for Nicole to call her. That Waverly needed several approaches to formulate her answer, Nicole was not surprised. She, too, had quickly discarded her first designs, deleting nicknames, trying to get to the point quickly so as not to pretend that she wanted to impose herself on Waverly.  
Waverly's answer was similar to Nicole's message. Straight to the point. What had Nicole expected?

Nic : Okay. Then I'll come over later. Thank you.

That was the end of the conversation.

***

The door of the Sheriff Department swung open and Eve and Adam entered. Adam looked around the entryway and walked toward Sheriff Nedley.

"Sheriff Nedley." Adam held out his hand to the older man in uniform.

"Mr. Campell, how can I help you?" The sheriff silently placed his coffee cup on the desk.

Sheriff Randy Nedley, sheriff for many years in the small town of Purgatory ... most of the inhabitants didn't even know his predecessor. He was more than just a representative of the law because for him, the words "protecting and serving" weren't just slogans. He lived that motto. For his subordinate deputies, especially Nicole Haught, he was a kind of father figure. Professionaly, he passed on to the next generation of police all his experience in leading them and making them better officials, maybe even better people. In rare cases he was also a counselor for personal problems. Nicole Haught was very close to his heart. This young smart officer had a great career ahead of her, he knew that. One of the reasons he brought her to Purgatory after graduating from the Police Academy.  
But not the only one.  
Sheriff Nedley looked to foreigners like the typical small-town sheriff. He knew everyone and everyone knew him. In disputes, he liked to take the path of least resistance which doesn't mean you could dance on his nose. Anyone who deserved punishment got it too. But Nedley also knew that, especially in Shorty's disputes, a few well-meaning words did more to reassure the situation than arrests. And that's exactly what everyone respected.

"We're just here to talk about the accident, the officer involved, and whether all of this will have any consequences for us now."

"So, as far as the officer is concerned, she's fine. She'll recover in the next few days. Take a seat and we'll be able to talk about everything else."

"Thank you very much."

Adam turned to see Eve standing in the middle of the room, looking like she was waiting for her bus which would arrive in 2 hours.

"Are you coming, sister ?"

Eve raised an eyebrow and followed Adam and Sheriff Nedley.

The two men started talking about the accident. They sat opposite each other at a desk, between them were some photos of the scene of the accident and the vehicles involved.  
They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't realize that Eve wasn't following their conversation.  
Eve leaned back and stretched her legs out. Her gaze wandered into the distance, as did her thoughts. The dream of last night simply didn't let her go.  
She knew she couldn't be distracted. But since it wasn't the first dream of its kind, she wondered if they meant anything. After all, Purgatory wasn't just a place ... strange thing happened here.

Sheriff Nedley had taken another file from one of the drawers of his desk. With a slight push he closed the drawer again and the resulting sound brought Eve back from her thoughts to the Sheriff's Department.  
Although Eve didn't participate in the conversation, she at least was able to follow the dialogue.  
Adam cleverly steered the topic of the conversation from the accident to quite general things. He tried to engage the sheriff in an innocuous conversation to learn as much as possible about the city, the people, and the things that were going on here.  
All topics that were also interesting for Eve but she was still not able to become part of the conversation.

***

Nicole had lost her time feeling. Sitting around at home doing nothing was simply not her cup of tea. She would give anything to sit in the Sheriff's Department now. It didn't have to be the fight against some demon, she would also sort paper clips or copy forms. She just wanted to get out of her, and work.

CJ probably agreed. Demonstratively, she sat down at the front door and began to muzzle. Not the usual meow if she was hungry or required attention. It almost seemed as if she wanted to tell Nicole, 'Take your things and go. You have the best hands to scratch but you're lying on my sofa all day'.

"It's alright, I understand." Nicole got up from the sofa and went upstairs to her bedroom. As if she wanted to control Nicole, CJ followed her at every turn.

"You can't wait until I'm finally gone, eh ?" Nicole had to smile. She was standing in front of her closet, clearly feeling CJ's look in her back, like little pinpricks that would make her dress faster.  
In fact, CJ lay on Nicole's bed, crossing her front paws. There was a soft purr and occasionally one of the amber eyes closed. Almost like a wink.

Nicole had turned around, shirt in hand, and could only smile at the sight. She was well aware that this house actually belonged to Calamity Jane and she, Nicole, was tolerated here only as a kind of staff.  
The two still loved each other deeply.

Only a few minutes later Nicole stood at the front door, put on her sneakers, took a jacket from the wardrobe and opened the door. She took a step outside and turned to close the door. Everything under observation by CJ. Nicole tried to stay serious when she said goodbye to Calamity Jane.

"I promise you, I'll be back soon. I just have to get a few things, it will not take long."

As if CJ had understood her, she answered with a short muzzle then she turned around and disappeared around the corner. CJ wouldn't probably not miss Nicole so soon, now that she had her couch to herself.

After CJ's last golden hair was out of Nicole's view, Nicole closed the door and started walking. She had decided to walk. The fresh air would do her good, so she had plenty of time to think about what she should say to Waverly.  
What she was currently experiencing was a jumble of feelings, she was disappointed, hurt, maybe a little annoying how it all went. But she still loved Waverly, and she was also worried about the young Earp.  
She knew for a fact that Waverly could take good care of herself. She was always so vulnerable, especially compared to her sister Wynonna but she didn't know anyone who could lead more elaborate pillow fight than Waverly.

At the thought of their last "fight", Nicole had to smile. Two pillows had fallen victim.  
They had then unintentionally distributed the feathers throughout the apartment and CJ rediscovered her hunting instincts. Unsuccessful. She just couldn't catch these white fluffy things.

Nicole took a deep breath and thought Purgatory might be a nice town if the whole damn curse thing wasn't part of the city's history ... and present.

Purgatory offered you everything you needed to live and plenty of opportunities to spend your free time in a pleasant way. And, it was still small enough that most of the residents knew each other by name. Most of the born here spent the rest of their lives here. Even if one or the other felt the need to be destined for greater ... most stayed in Purgatory or came back after a short time ... it seemed to be the real curse on Purgatory.

Without really paying attention to the way she had left, Nicole's feet had automatically taken her directly to Shorty's door.  
There she stood, hesitating to open the door.

***

Waverly was engrossed in her daily Shorty's routine. Wipe tables and counter, adjust chairs, check beverage supply and top up if necessary. All these things Waverly could do with eyes closed.  
Actually, there was nothing to do in the morning. Rosita and her left Shorty's in the evening only when everything was tidy and clean.  
But as a diligent employee, she checked everything again the next morning anyway.

Waverly was alone this morning. She switched on the radio and went from one table to the other, running her scarf over the old and dark brown wood ... all to the rhythm of the music.  
She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't notice that the door to the bar opened and someone came in.  
A careful hawking caught Waverly's attention.

"Oh my god, did you scare me, how long have you been standing there ?"  
Startled, Waverly had dropped the cloth on the table she had just wiped. With her right hand she grabbed the cloth and went behind the counter.

"I assume that's why you're here." For a few seconds Waverly had disappeared behind the counter. When she straightened up, she put a box on the counter in front of her.

"I packed everything I could find. If anything is missing, let me know."

Nicole was still standing at the door. She hadn't moved a millimeter. Déjà-vû. She was familiar and uncomfortable this situation. She looked Waverly in the eyes for a moment, then lowered her eyes. At the same time, all she wanted to do was approach Waverly and hug her. She missed the young Earp so much. Her smile, her bright eyes, her warmth, her touch.

Waverly seemed to be similar. She stood in silence at the bar, the damp cloth still in her hands. The silence between the two young women seemed to be flickering in the air and suddenly the music from the radio became louder and louder.

Kiss full of color makes me wonder where you've always been  
I was hiding in doubt till you brought me out of my chysalis  
And I came out new  
All because of you

Now you're lifting me up instead of holding me down  
Stealing my heart instead if stealing my crown  
Untangled all the strings round my wings that were tied

Nicole blinked and then slowly looked up again. Right in Waverly's eyes which returned the look.  
Were those tears in Waverly's eyes ?

Cloud nine was always out of reach  
Now I remember what it feels like to fly  
You give me butterflies

Waverly reached for the remote controle of the radio and turned off the sound.  
Nicole could see Waverly's chest rise and fall. Her breathing was fast, and her right hand was still clutching the remote controle tightly, as if it were giving her security.  
Nicole could see Waverly's knuckles turning white. The muscles of her forearm were clearly visible. They were under such tension that her arm began to tremble a little.  
The last time they stood facing each other this way, the body language of both women spoke something different.  
With one last look at the box, then at Nicole, Waverly disappeared back into the kitchen.

Nicole looked after Waverly. Her long brown hair which she usually wore open, bobbed in time with her footsteps. A quick smile crossed Nicole's face. She loved to run her fingers through Waverly's hair or wrap a strand of it around one of her fingers. It felt soft on her skin like silk and it smelled so good. When Waverly disappeared, Nicole closed her eyes to linger a moment longer in the memories. 'Waverly standing in front of her, tilting her head a little to the side and smiling at her.' How could anyone resist Waverly Earp ? Then the smile went out again.

Nicole opened her eyes, went to the counter, grabbed the box with her things und lifted it. With this movement, the box opened and Nicole could recognize her blue shirt of the Police Academy. She put the box down and pulled the shirt out.  
Waverly had last worn it when she sat in Nicole's arms on the sofa in front of the fireplace. They had watched the sparks of fire as they danced through the air until their lights went out. The soothing crackle of the burning logs, the red and yellow play of the flames ... they had found something that fascinated and reassured them both equally.

Nicole held the shirt in front of her nose and took a deep breath. There was a smell of Waverly, the sweet smell of her shower gel. Two more breaths later, she put the shirt back in the box, tucked it under her arm and left Shorty's.

The heavy wooden door of the bar closed behind the officer.  
A few months ago she stood in front of this door. At this time, not only did this door open, but also her heart, and the most wonderful person she had ever encountered stepped into her life – Waverly Earp. Nicole hadn't hoped in dreams that she could ever love someone as much as this young woman or be loved by someone like Waverly.  
At that moment, not just a door closed behind Nicole, but also the chapter of her relationship with Waverly. The love of her life.

The dull closing of the door seemed to push her away from the bar, yet it didn't have enough strength to trigger the lump in her throat. Nicole swallowed, trying to make it disappear. Without success.  
She had thought to think about how transient everything was. Her relationship with Waverly seemed to be past ... present ... and future ...  
And "forever" had been in the air ...  
Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught ...  
Everything seemed possible ...  
Everything ...


	17. Chapter 17

# Chapter 17

It seemed hours had passed since Waverly had entered the kitchen. She could hear how the old front door to the bar was opened and closed again shortly thereafter. Waverly was all alone in Shorty's again.  
She couldn't believe that she had just left and left Nicole without a word with the box alone.  
She just wanted to have some time to process all that had happened lately. She knew what she was feeling for Nicole. But her life was now so complicated that she felt she didn't know exactly who or what she was.  
How could a relationship with Nicole work if one of them had such great doubts about herself ? She had to answer all her questions first before she could return to Nicole. She didn't want to burden Nicole with her mind-boggling or the relationship with her. Even though every single second of separation was hell. For both of them.  
Waverly had been happy ... before all that. Before Wynonna returned to Purgatory on her 27th birthday ... before Nicole Haught entered Shorty's and helped Waverly remove her soaked top ... her life had been straightforward and far less dangerous when she was still with Champ. He was her high school love ... why couldn't she have been happy with him ? Such love stories really existed. Why did everything have to be so complicated ? Sometimes she wished that not only she wasn't an Earp, but she had also grown up somewhere other than in Purgatory. Far from this curse, far from revenants and demons. Somewhere ... without worries and fears ... without a doubt about herself.  
Or had she just tried to persuade herself ?

***

The moment Nicole stepped onto the street with the box in her hand, she regretted having come on foot. Out here, visible to everyone, she felt so vulnerable, almost at the mercy of it. Strange. On the one hand, she wanted to be somewhere now where no one could see her, on the other hand to be alone with this box which meant so much finality ... she didn't want that either.  
Without thinking much of where she might go, her feet made their way to the building in Purgatory which for Nicole was the most secure ... the Sheriff's Department.

***

The conversation between Sheriff Nedley and Adam now focused on the prices of the houses in Purgatory. Adam didn't plan to buy one of the houses but he hoped to learn more about the dark side of the city. Would Sheriff Nedley even hint that it was not safe to live in Purgatory ? Or would he praise his city in the highest terms ? Adam was well aware that the police and the Earps were doing their best to protect the inhabitants of the small town, unless they were among the red-eyed revenants. But all their efforts couldn't be enough to save every life. The past had shown this all too clearly.  
Adam hated when innocents got into the line of fire. But sometimes it was unavoidable. The sooner you accepted that, the faster you could go on with the work and wasn't distracted by disturbing emotions. He had tried to convince Eve that it was right but she didn't agree. For Eve, every single life counted. And emotions weren't bad, as long as they didn't affect action. They could also be helpful.  
Adam and Eve couldn't be more different. Maybe that's why they were the perfect team.

Eve got up and turned to the sheriff.

"Excuse me, can I freshen up somewhere ?"

"Of course, Lonnie will show you where." And addressed the deputy. "Lonnie, show the restroom to Mrs Campbell."

"Yes, sir. Ma'am, this way, please." The deputy took a step toward Eve first then turned and pointed with his arm out in the appropriate direction.

Arriving at the door to the restrooms, the deputy cleared his throat.

"We're not a 5-star hotel, so if you need something, just let me know." A broad smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you, that's very nice of you." Even Eve returned the smile, stepped through the door and waited until it had fallen into the lock. She needed nothing but cold water at the moment. Somehow she had to manage to become herself again and to forget this night and this dream.

Nedley watched the young woman and his deputy until they disappeared into one of the corridors in the back of the building.

"Your sister seems to be a bit confused today, is she okay ? We have very good doctors here if she wants to be examined again to rule out possible consequences of the accident."

"It won't be necessary. She didn't sleep well last night. I think she's just tired. I thought it would be a good idea to bring her here, so I guess I was wrong." Adam shrugged. "When she's back from the restroom, I'll drive her back to the motel to rest for a while."

Nedley nodded understandingly. He had never been involved in a car accident before. Luck and driving skills had allowed him to master every critical situation on the road until now. However, he had already seen many people after accidents and he knew only too well that some of them complained about problems only after days.

Even before one of the two men could say anything, the door to the Sheriff's Department opened and Nicole Haught entered the entrance. She was still carrying the box with her things under her arm.

"Please, excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back." Nedley rose from his chair. Adam had followed Nedley's look and nodded after recognizing the reason for interrupting their conversation.

"What are you doing here, Nicole ? Didn't I tell you I didn't want to see you here ?" Nedley's voice sounded more paternal and caring than professional and reproachful. He was reluctant to relinquish his best deputy but her health was even more important to him than the smooth running of the department. Lonnie was reliable in terms of daily routine. He lacked the often necessary instinct which Nicole definitely owned but he tried to remedy this blemish by exaggerated labor input. Unfortunately, he also didn't prove to be particularly talented in this part. But there were even worse candidates than Lonnie ...

"I know." Nicole looked guiltily to the ground. "I didn't plan to come here. I just picked up a few things at Shorty's, so I thought ..." Nicole's voice softened at the end of the sentence. She knew Sheriff Nedley meant what he said. And if he didn't want her to come to the office then that was serious and not a "maybe-he-changes-his-opinion" statement.

"Fine. You can stay for a cup of coffee." Nedley put a hand on Nicole's upper arm. "It's best you make fresh coffee for all of us." And in a slightly quieter voice. "Lonnie's coffee this morning was so strong that my spoon stayed upright in it." He winked at Nicole, nodded toward the kitchen, then headed back to his desk. Nicole had ignored the man at Nedley's desk. With a smile on her face and happy that Nedley hadn't sent her home, she headed for the kitchen. Making coffee ... well, still better than sitting around at home and doing nothing.

Lost in thought Nicole put one foot in front of the other, piece by piece closer to the kitchen.

"Oh, excuse me, I was not paying attention ... Nicole ?"

"Eve ?"

Both women had been so absorbed in themselves that they hadn't realized that their paths would cross. The small box in Nicole's hand had mitigated the collision but now all the contents were scattered on the floor.

"Wait, I'll help you." Eve knelt down and started packing Nicole's shirts back in the box.

"You don't need that ... I can do it ..." Nicole knelt beside Eve as she picked up a framed picture of Nicole and Waverly and looked at it. Nicole stared at the photo for a moment then snatched it from Eve's hand. With a few quick movements she threw it back into the box together with the rest of her stuff, picked up the box and went to the kitchen of the Sheriff's Department without another word.  
Confused, Eve looked after her, then turned her head and noticed that both Sheriff Nedley and Adam had been watching the situation with questioning looks.  
As if Eve had caught the two men sharing the very last donut, they turned their heads off and continued their conversation.

Eve wasn't sure if she should follow Nicole but then decided to do so. She knocked softly on the kitchen door.

"Hi."

Nicole stood with her back to the door. She had put the box on the small table and held it with both hands. Eve could hear Nicole's breath.

"Everything okay ?" Eve cautiously took a step toward Nicole who still had her back to her. Nicole didn't want to show anything. No weakness. Not here ... in her 'home'. When she felt Eve's hand on her shoulder, she released the box, straightened and turned around.

"Yeah, everything's okay, thanks for your help." Nicole's fake smile was easy for Eve to see through, yet she returned the smile.

"If I can help you carry this heavy box, just let me know."

"Oh, it's not so heavy, just a few shirts and ..." Nicole broke off the eye contact. 'Be strong !'

"You know that wasn't meant that way." Eve's voice was almost a whisper. How long did they know each other ? She wasn't in the position to offer herself as 'best friend' to Nicole. But it was worth a try.

"I should make coffee." Nicole turned to the right, took the water container of the coffee machine with her to the sink, turned on the faucet and filled the container with water to the maximum mark.  
For a brief moment, Eve had thought to detain Nicole but rejected that idea again. She didn't want to offend the officer.

"Coffee sounds great. Do you think I might even get a cup ?"

Nicole was about to reply but she didn't come to that.

"Maybe you would like a coffee in the diner ? Please come."

Nicole hesitated. One second too long.

"Okay, stupid idea, just forget it." Eve slowly turned around and was about to leave the kitchen ...

"No, wait. I'm not allowed to be here anyway. I'm still out of service. Diner sounds good." A few gestures and a push of a button later the coffee machine was running.

"If you wait here for a moment, I'll put this in my locker" Nicole pointed to the box that was still on the table. Like a memorial that seemed to cloud the mood between the two women. Keeping things locked in her locker didn't banish the dull thoughts from Nicole's head but the coffee in the diner was a welcome distraction.

After an approving nod from Eve, Nicole grabbed her box and left the kitchen.

Nicole stood in front of her locker, opened the lock and then tried to open the narrow metal door. As usual, she resisted with all her might. Nicole began to tap the frame with a flat hand as she pulled the door with the other hand. Nothing.

"Seriously ?" The blows became stronger and the flat hand became a fist. Nothing.  
Nicole began kicking the door with her right foot and at the same time slamming a fist against the frame at the level of the lock. The noise she made didn't seem to bother her.

"Damn, now open up." Now both fists drummed on the door at the same time. It didn't help anything. Nicole took a step back and looked around. The axe. Actually, the axe was only for the case of fire but this was also a kind of emergency. Nicole walked over to the small glass compartment containing the ax, opened the door which opened almost by itself, causing Nicole's fury on her spint to rise even more. She took out the ax and headed for the old, unruly door to show it who the boss was. Nicole raised the ax and ...

"Hey ... what are you doing ?" The noise had caused Eve to leave the coffee machine to itself and see what was causing this terrible noise. Now she stood in the doorway to the locker room and saw Nicole with arms raised, an ax in her hands, cheeks flushed and she could not help but smile. Without lowering the heavy weapon, Nicole returned Eve's gaze.

"You hunt down criminals, catch them, handcuff them and jail them, and you're probably going to be absolutely cool, but such a small door upset you ?"

"She was defended herself, desperate situations requires desperate measures, and my gun is at home." Nicole looked back to the door and took another swing.

"Wait !" Eve raised both hands and walked slowly towards Nicole. "You're going to cause a bloodbath here." The smile on Eve's face just didn't want to go away.

"That's not funny. I know how to handle an ax." Nicole's eyes narrowed slightly to give more weight to her statement.

"I trust you. Nevertheless, I would rather you put it away. We can open the door in another way." Eve was standing right next to Nicole, placing her left hand on Nicole's back, her right hand on the ax's handle, slowly guiding Nicole's arms down. Just before the sharp blade brushed the floor, Eve grabbed firmly and took the ax off Nicole.

"Where did you get ...? Oh, I see." Eve put the ax back in its rightful place.

"Well, now let's open the door, in an old-fashioned way. Your key, please."

Nicole pointed her finger at the keychain hanging from the door.

"Does this grin disappear someday ?" Slowly, Nicole was aware that she had overreacted a bit and started to smile

"You can be glad I didn't take a photo."

"Then I would have had to arrest you, unfortunately."

"Your handcuffs are safe in your spint, right ?" Eve's smile widened. "Well, let's open the door, otherwise it will not work with the arrest. I suppose it's the right key in the lock ?"

Instead of giving an answer, Nicole bumped into Eve from the side.

"As long as you try to open the door, I'll go to the diner and get some coffee. Coffee, Cappuccino, Latte macchiato ?" Nicole was almost at the door ...

"That won't be necessary." Eve turned the key once to close the lock, then slammed her entire body weight against the door, turned the key again, and then slowly shifted her weight to her back leg. At the same time she pulled the door with her which creacked and opened.

With open mouth Nicole stood at the door to the locker room, one hand on the door frame and looked in desbelief to Eve.

"That's a joke, right ?"

"Shall the box just down in the spint ?" Eve didn't wait for an answer, grabbed the box and put it in the spint, closed the door again and locked it. With a big grin on her face, she turned to Nicole and threw her the key.

"Always at your service, m'lady."

"How ...? How did you ...? The door ... so fast !"

"It just wanted a little body contact and affection. That's all. So, uhm, what about coffee ?"

Eve pushed past Nicole through the door, walked down the corridor and into the entrance area.

"Coffee ! Oh boy ! Nedley !" Nicole went back to the kitchen, poured coffee into two cups and brought them to Nedley's desk, along with some milk and sugar.

"Thank you, Nicole."

Nicole put the second cup on the table in front of Adam whom she recognized only now.

"Mr. Campbell. I also made you a cup if you ..."

"That's very nice of you, Officer Haught. Thank you."

"I don't want to bother any longer. I just wanted to say that I'm leaving again. I'm not on duty yet and just wanted to stop by. Mr. Campbell, Sheriff." Nicole nodded to both men and got ready to leave.

"Officer Haught ?" Adam got up from his chair. "I haven't been lucky enough to meet you in person and apologize to you, I hope you are fine and the accident ... it's very unfortunate for you to be involved in the accident." Adam made a deeply affected face and shook hands with Nicole. "The circumstances in which we get to know each other can't be worse but I sincerely hope that you will give me the opportunity to make amends."

"Don't worry. I'm fine. Some things happen, you can't change that. I'm glad you and your sister weren't hurt. I think everything that needs to be clarified is best discussed with Sheriff Nedley."

"Of course, I wish you a speedy recovery and a pleasant day off." With a slight smile and a hint of a bow, Adam turned back to Sheriff Nedley.

Nicole hesitated a moment before turning and walking to Eve who was waiting at the front door. Eve knew that the end of the conversation was too polite to fit the story Eve had told Nicole. And unfortunately, Nicole was too good as an officer to miss out on that. Eve knew that.

The two women left the Sheriff's Department and made their way to the diner. Until they got there, neither spoke a word. They both seemed to enjoy both the fresh air and the warm sunshine.

***

Waverly had waited until she was sure that she was really alone. Nicole hadn't said a word but Waverly could read in her face what she was feeling. To stand in front of her again, to look into those big brown eyes which looked unspeakably sad. The slight glimmer of rising tears. Why did it hurt so much ? Waverly knew exactly why.  
She wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. Tears now dropping from her chin to the floor like a waterfall.  
She had hoped so much that Nicole would take a little longer to realize that the Police Academy shirt was at Waverly ... it was much too big for Waverly but when she wore it, she felt as close to Nicole as she would be in her arms. Now that all these things were back to their rightful owner, there was no reason for Nicole and Waverly to see each other again.  
Everything was in this one little box. The rest of their life together.

After a few minutes, the tears stream ended. Waverly just didn't have anymore tears. Slowly, her breathing calmed and her heart beat much slower. Waverly hadn't even noticed she wasn't still standing. She was sitting on the floor, her back against the door. The tear-veil before her eyes gradually disappeared.  
At this point, there were only two options for Waverly. Either she left everything behind and tried from now to live her life without Nicole (worst option) or she had to find the answers to all her questions as quick as possible (thumb up). It was easier said than done, but when she planned to be with Nicole again, she had to work on it. And nothing could stop a determined Earp.  
For the first time in her life, Waverly Earp knew exactly what she wanted.

She wiped the last traces of tears from her face with both hands and stood up. Two deep breaths later, she stepped through the door and continued which was interrupted by Nicole's visit. At first in unusual silence but when she passed the counter and discovered the remote control of the radio, she turned the music back on.

You've got a big heart  
The way you see the world  
It got you this far  
You might have some bruises  
And a few of scars  
But you know you're gonna be okay

And even though you're scared  
You're stronger than you know

'I'm strong', Waverly thought and continued with her work.

***

Four or five songs later, Waverly sat down on the steps in front of the door. Shorty's still looked the same as 20 minutes ago. The tables and chairs were in place, the counter was wiped, the glasses gleamed. She had to find something she could do, otherwise the time to open the bar wouldn't pass.

Suddenly, the two wooden doors behind the young Earp jumped open and Wynonna almost stumbled over her sister.

"Wynonna ?" Waverly had jumped up. "What do you look like ?"  
Then Dolls appeared in the door. His expression reflected tiredness, but above all digust.

"Don't ask !" Wynonna wore her leather jacket as usual, a dark red top and black pants ... so far so good ... but something weird was dripping from her sleeves. This stuff seemed to completely cover both Wynonna and Dolls and gradually it also smelled bad in the bar. Unusually bad, not as usual every night ...

Waverly wrinkled her nose. "Wynonna, what is that ?"

"Don't ask !" Wynonna walked around the counter and reached for the first whiskey bottle that came within her reach.

"Wynonna." Waverly watched her older sister grab a glass from one of the higher shelves, leaving the foul-smelling substance everywhere.

"Wynonna !"

"WHAT ?" Waverly only raised both eyebrows and nodded in Wynonna's direction.

"SHIT !" Wynonna set the bottle down on the counter with a loud noise. "What use is the best bar if you aren't allowed to drink anything ?" Supporting both elbows on the counter, Wynonna buried her face in her hands.

"I'll just forget that I've just cleaned here and ask again : what - is – that ?" Waverly looked back and forth between Wynonna and Dolls as she pointed with her forefinger to the tracks left by the two "swamp monsters" on the floor, the stairs and the counter.

"Long story." Wynonna sounded less angry now than annoyed and exhausted.

"I love long stories, especially when they are told in shorthand." Waverly frowned. If her morning cleaning action was already ruined by her sister, then she also wanted to know what the disgusting stuff was.

"If you tell me what happened, I'll drive you home so you can take a shower and put on something else. It looks like ..."

"Don't say it or I'll embrace you in a sisterly way and hold you tight." Wynonna's face twisted into a grimace, she raised both arms toward Waverly, moving slowly toward her like a zombie.

"... revenant drool." Waverly smiled, but only for about one second. Wynonna took two quick steps towards her sister who ran up the steps and stood behind Dolls. Well, carefully not to touch him because he, too, was completely covered with ... whatever.

"Wynonna ! I've been cleaning ! Stop spreading that stuff everywhere and tell me what happened."

Just to annoy Waverly, Wynonna shook her right arm and spread hundreds of sticky drippers on the floor. A few more or less drops wouldn't be noticeable anymore.

Dolls stood there frozen. To stand between two Earps who hunted each other, even if it was only in a playful way, could be bad for him.  
Better not to move.

"Okay, but only because I really need a shower urgently." Wynonna hoisted herself onto one of the barstools and earned a bad look from Waverly.

"Jeremy sent us to find that 'frog', insanely toxic and dangerous." She paused. "We found him. As you can see. In a cave. And Jeremy if loves his life, he'd better look for a cave too."

"Jeremy works in a cave." Waverly smiled at the thought of the lab which has almost become Jeremy's second home.

"His luck. Well, like I said. We found him and sent him to the froggy sky together with two of his friends – end of story."

Dolls coughed.

"Okay, so that's it ?" Waverly glanced at Dolls who shook his head slightly.

"Traitor !" Wynonna looked at her partner.

"Do you want to tell me the rest or should I ask Dolls ?"

"There's nothing else." Wynonna slipped off the stool.

"Wynonna, you're wearing the other half of the story on your jacket, and on your face, and maybe I don't really want to know it, but ..."

"Jeremy had said that these demons are poisonous and we shouldn't touch them," Doll's started to complete Wynonna's story. "That's what she tried to do ... it looked like an Inuit ritual dance. She hopped from right to left to stay out of reach of the demons, until she slipped and landed in one of the puddles. Jeremy's research was only half way true. The slime isn't poisonous or even deadly. It's just ..." Dolls shrugged. "... slimy."

"Traitor !"

"Okay, that explains why Wynonna looks like she looks ... Is there any video of that ?" Waverly had to stop laughing.  
Dolls just shook his head.

"Pity." Waverly pointed at the slime which was slowly accumulating on the floor next to Dolls. "And why ...?"

"That's called 'partnership', babygirl." Looking at Dolls, Wynonna started to grin.

Dolls didn't pay attention to her. "After she sent the demon back to hell, I wanted to help her get up. Never trust an Earp sitting in a puddle of slime !"

Waverly laughed heartily at the thought of Wynonna sitting in that slime drawing Dolls down.

"Okay. So that's just slimy slime."

"Evil smelling slime, yeah. We can drive now ... I really need a shower. This stuff is starting to squish into cringe-worthy crevices." Wynonna lifted both arms like wings, her jacket stuck to her body and followed the movement only slowly. Small slime theads formed between Wynonna's waist and the leather.

Wynonna didn't wait for an answer but went up steps and out the door. Followed by Dolls and Waverly who locked the bar behind them. It wouldn't take long to drive Wynonna and Dolls to the Homestead and then come back to clean the bar before evening business.  
On the one hand, she was annoyed with Wynonna's thoughtlessness. On the other hand, she was grateful for the distraction. Nicole was completely out of her mind. For the moment.

***

Eve had only been in Purgatory for a few hours but one thing was already clear to her : there was no anonymity here. Nicole Haught was out of service and in civilian, yet everyone greeted her. Not only with a simple nod but Nicole was addressed by her name. Good thing, Eve and Adam didn't plan to stay here. At least not for long.  
A lie has no legs. Sooner or later someone would find out who they really were. With a quick glance at Nicole, Eve knew who that would be.

An elderly couple met the two women. The elderly lady nodded friendly smile to Nicole, her husband tipped his hat and greeted "Office Haught." Nicole nodded politely.  
With a short nod to Eve, the couple passed by.

"You seem to be popular." Eve went straight ahead with Nicole, without looking at her.

"That's just the fear of the might I have as an officer."

"So, your 'might'." Eve gave a small giggle and shook her head. "Your 'might' is for sure at the moment in your home in a drawer."

Nicole stopped and looked at Eve indignantly. "Don't I radiate authority ?" She put both hands on her and stroke down her body starting at the chest.

Eve had stopped beside Nicole and turned to face her.  
"Oh, definitely, authority in person. And therefore the fearful looks that are thrown at you." Eve frowned and shook her head again. "You're crazy." She turned in the direction of the diner and moved on. "Does the authority also suffice to provide us with fresh hot coffee ?"

"Only if we drink it at my house." With a few quick steps Nicole was again level with Eve.

"Is this just a statement or an invitation ?" Eve went on unerringly towards the diner.

"Well, my coffee-based cooking is limited to just one variety, but if that's enough for you, then it's an invitation."

Eve stopped abruptly, so surprisingly for Nicole that she walked three more steps before she stopped and turned to Eve.

"What ?" Nicole looked confused. Did she say something wrong ?

"Okay, I'm assuming that I'm not fortunate that your apartment is just around the corner, right ? And if I see it right, the diner is up there."

"To be precise, my house is in the opposite direction, and it's a little out of the town." Nicole shrugged apologetically.

"Well." Eve let out an audible breath and rubbed her neck in thought. "Then I have a choice between the diner with old, stale coffee but it's only ten yards away ... and your house, with fresh coffee, which we can only reach if we turn back and drive a bit further by car." Eve made a thoughtful face, looked up to the sky which was a bit cloudy today.

"Hm." The house of the officer had another advantage : the familiar environement made it easier to talk about subjects that were not talked about in public diners.

"I think I choose the diner, I didn't have breakfast today." Eve moved on. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." With a quick gesture, she signaled Nicole to follow her.

"Hm." Nicole turned and saw the road they had gone along. "Between here and my apartment is the best bakery Purgatory's, just an idea."

Eve stopped und turned to Nicole.

"You mean, the only bakery in Purgatory." Eve smiled. She was really hungry. The decision was made more and more difficult ... now, diner, coffee and breakfast ... or ... a littler later, Nicole's apartment, fresh coffee, breakfast from the bakery ... decisions, decisions ...

"No, we have here ..." Nicole frowned. It almost looked like she was walking through Purgatory in mind and counting the bakeries.  
"Okay, we have two real backeries, but this one is really good. They are German immigrants, the choice is huge and everything tastes delicious."

Eve's gaze suddenly fell like mist.  
She saw a little red-haired girl standing in front of shelves full of goodies. Brownies in all shapes and sizes ... donuts in all imaginable flavors, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana, ...with or without glaze, chocolate sprinkles, colorful sprinkles .. how should one only decide on that ? Eve closed her eyes without realizing it. The smell of fresh baked goods rose to her nose. Her eyes fell on another shelf. Baskets full of bread rolls, small, big, round, oval ... breads lay on the shelves above the grain. A woman in a white-and-blue-striped blouse and a white baker's apron took a sandwich and squeezed it lightly with her fingers. That crunching sound, the crumbs falling to the ground ... Eve followed them as they almost fell to the floor in slow motion, drawing a chaotic pattern on the floor ... the woman came up to Eve and was about to say something ...  
Eve felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything okay ?" Nicole's voice was still unclear at first. The image of the bakery slowly disappeared again and the woman, who was standing just in front of Eve, took more and more the shape of Nicole. The shelves became outlines of houses and even the little girl was gone. Only the scent of the freshly baked bread seemed to hang in the air.

"Hey, are you okay ?" Eve winked a few times and took a deep breath. Nicole's worried face in front of her, Eve came back to the here and now. She nodded slowly. "Yeah ... everything is okay." 'What the hell...' Eve took a step back and Nicole's hands lost contact. "I'm good." Nothing was good !' thought Eve. What was wrong with her ?

"Okay, I think we get some sandwiches in the bakery and then drive to my apartment. A cup of tea would be better than coffee." It was more a statement than a question to Eve. Nicole put an arm around Eve and slowly led her back the way they had come. Nicole threw a worried look at Eve several times, silently guided by Nicole. Part of Eve still seemed to be stuck in the bakery. The sweet scent of the glazes ... it just grabbed her like a veil and didn't want let her go ... and Eve didn't want to leave, too.

The metallic sound of opening the passenger door brought Eve back to reality a little more. She got into Nicole's car. Nicole grabbed Eve's right arm which Eve seemed to have completely forgotten, and put it on Eve's tight. Nicole's left hand rested on the roof of the car, with the right one gently closing the door.  
During her training, Nicole was always involved in situations related to medical emergencies. She had to give first aid herself several times. But this was somehow different, she just couldn't say to what extent.  
She walked around the front of the car, never losing sight of Eve. She didn't want to risk being unable to react in time in the event of an attack.  
She opened the driver's door and got behind the wheel.  
Eve had lowered her head as if it were too heavy ...as if she had no strength hold it up.  
Nicole reached past Eve for the seatbelt and then fastened it to the other side of the seat. Eve completely ignored how close Nicole's face came to her.  
The only thing she noticed was a more pronounced vanilla fragrance.  
Before Nicole started the engine, she fastened her seatbelt and then drove off.  
She decided not to stop at the bakery. At home there would be something to eat.  
During the ride, Nicole could watch as Eve blinked again and again seemed to take more of her surroundings.  
When the car came to a stop in front of Nicole's house and the engine stopped, Eve raised her head for the first time. She looked out the window and then to Nicole.

"Where are we ?"

"I live here," said Nicole curtly and got out of the car. In a few steps she had walked around the car and opened the passenger door.  
Eve untied the belt and got out. "I like it." Then she went to the front door. Behind her she could hear that Nicole closed the door and then pressed the automatic interlock, whereupon a short peep was heard and the blinkers flashed twice.

"I like cats." Eve had already gone up the four steps to the front door when Nicole followed her, took her key from her pocket and looked at Eve questioningly.

"I beg your pardon ?" Nicole frowned and a small wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows.

"You have a cat, don't you ?" Eve's gaze was now completely clear again.

"Yeah, but I can't remember telling you about Calamity Jane."

"No ?"

Nicole opened the door, and as if to confirm, Calamity Jane was in the entryway, waiting. As Nicole stepped through the door, the usual welcome ritual began. Everything as usual, until Eve took a step over the threshold.  
Calamity Jane immediately stopped purring, raising her tail and to Nicole's surprise, she hissed at Eve. With each step Eve moved forward, CJ took two steps backward until she hit a small table, got startled and ran up the stairs.

"CJ ?!" And turned to Eve, "She's not that aggressive ... I'm sorry." Nicole was visibly ashamed.

Eve shook her head slightly. "I don't mind, I'm the intruder, she just defends her home."

"Well, actually, it's my home." Both women smiled, knowing that was not quite right.

Nicole helped Eve out of her jacket and hung it with her own on the wardrobe.  
"Sit down first, I'll make us a cup of tea. Any preferences ?"

Nicole disappeared in the kitchen. Shortly thereafter, Eve could hear Nicole filling the kettle and taking cups from one of the cupboards, placing them on a table. Eve looked around. Everything was tidied up. She had expected a well-organized household, but the living room surpassed everything. Eve didn't have nearly the patience to clean up her apartment so well, and once she did it, it was superficial. She threw everything in boxes and put them in cupboards.  
Out of sight, out of mind.

"Okay, herbal or fruit tea ? Herb or sweet ?" Eve could tell from Nicole's voice that she had to smile about her own words. Nicole opened the door of a cabinet to her right and grabbed for tea packets. In her right hand she held a green one, Indian Sunflower Herbal Tea, in her left one a red and yellow one, Caramel Apple Spice Blend.

"You decide. I'm not picky." Eve headed for the staires Calamity Jane had run up a few minutes ago. She stopped in front of a small bench that stood under a window and looked at the things Nicole had neatly put on it.

Nicole leaned in the doorway, holding on with her left hand as she turned her upper body to Eve.

"Or you just don't know what you want." Nicole raised an eyebrow and smiled. Both her dimples and the glow in her eyes made it clear that she enjoyed the conversation and Eve's presence. Tea ... it's all about tea.

"So I don't know what I want – okay, good, then fruity-sweet."

Nicole turned around and disappeared back into the kitchen, reappearing with two cups seconds later. She walked around her sofa, put the cups on the coffee table and sat donw on her sofa.

"Have a look around my apartment." Nicole sat upright, grabbed a pillow and held it with folded arms in front of her chest.

"Sorry ... I ... I'm just ..." Eve shook her head apologetically.

"Curious ?"

"Interested."

The two smiled at each other.

"Yeah, okay, maybe a little bit curious."

"Maybe ? A little bit ?"

"Okay. I'm very curious." Eve was still standing at the window, pointing with her right hand to the knee-high bench. "You climb ?"

Nicole gripped the pillow a little tighter.

"Um ... I used to be a lot of mountain climbing, but since I'm in Purgatory ..." She shook her head. "I haven't had a chance." Eve could hear both disappointment and longing from Nicole's voice.

"Then you should take the time for it – the Rockys aren't far away – you'll surely find a suitable place to climb." Eve pointed with her right thumb over her shoulder through the window at the high mountains visible on the horizon.

"Yeah, maybe I should really do that. It's been a while since I was climbing the last time." Nicole set the pillow aside and reached for her cup. The fruity steam that seemed to float over her cup rose in her nose and tickled a bit before Nicole took a small sip.

"Do you also climb ?" Nicole asked the question in the hope of finding a companion in Eve.

"Climbing ? Me ? If God had wanted me to climb, he would have given me four legs with hooves." Eve laughed and Nicole had almost spit out her tea again, wondering what Eve would look like with four legs.

"You're crazy. So that's a 'no'. Okay, But would you want to try ? With me ?" Nicole had not given up hope yet.

"Climbing up a steep wall of solid rock ... always in danger of falling to death ... that's not exactly my idea of recreation or even fun. What do you guys like about such a dangerous pastime ?" To lend more weight to her words, Eve mimicked the climbing, as did the wildly swirling arms of a climber falling down. "Couldn't you drink beer and play pool like everyone else does here ?"

"I'm not like everyone here !" For a moment, the two women kept eye contact before Nicole returned to her cup, stretching the silence between them a little more before speaking again.

"You want to know why I go climbing ?" Nicole said more to herself. "There is nothing more liberating. You stand down and look up, sure you'll never reach the goal because the wall just doesn't seem to end. But you still start to climb. In the beginning it's still quite easy, you move fast and overcome the first meters with ease. The further you get up, the more your fingers hurt. They start to tingle and get weaker because the only hold you can find is the small crevices in the rock, and for short moments your whole body weight is only held by 5 fingers. But you ignore that feeling. There is nothing else around you but the mountain. You are one unit, merged. With every meter you overcome, the adrenaline in your blood increases, knowing that there is only one way for you ... the way up. Your heartbeat gets faster and you have such a way out in your head to the rhythm of your pulse. You try to control your breathing to calm down yourself. Your biggest enemy is not the mountain ... it's you. In the last few meters you then have to fight against the feeling of euphoria, not to become careless or cocky. Because at this point, any of your mistakes could be your last. But you don't think about that ... it's more like an automatism. And when you finally arrive at the top, all effort, both physical and mental, falls away from you. This feeling of utter exhaustion coupled with the freedom you feel up there is overwhelming. Your gaze wanders into the distance and you see things that you didn't even have the slightest idea at the foot of the mountain. You feel so awesome, you're proud of yourself for conquering the mountain ... then you look up into the cloudless sky. Nothing blocks your eyes from seeing. And this infinite blue above you suddenly makes you realize how small you really are. You're like a little ant climbing an apple. You haven't achieved anything earth-shattering, but for you ... for you ..." As she spoke, she had put her cup back on the coffee table, raising both arms to either side of her body, opening her hands and spreading her fingers. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if she were standing on one of the mountains, absorbing that feeling of freedom.  
"The silence. The air. With every breath you inhale pure energy, there's only you up there, you alone, and for a short time you enjoy that loneliness that you ultimately only share with the mountain.  
Nicole opened her eyes again and saw Eve, who had unnoticed sat down next to Nicole on the couch.

Nicole took her arms down again and touched Eve's shoulder accidentally.

"Maybe not such a bad idea to go climbing. But definitely not alone." Eve smiled and then turned to her cup. The tea was now just the right temperature but she waited a few seconds before taking a sip. "Mmhh. Fruity and sweet."

"I hope you like the tea."

"Yeah, it's very ... yummy." Eve licked her lips.

"Endless happiness." Nicole also had her cup back in her hands.

"I beg your pardon ?" Eve looked a little confused to Nicole.

"Oh ... uhm ..." Nicole smiled. "Childhood memory."

"Endless happiness ?"

"That's what my uncle used to say." Nicole held her cup with both hands and ran the thumb of her right one over the edge of the cup. Her gaze fixed on the reflective surface of the liquid inside as if she were seeing images of the past there.

Eve put her hand on Nicole's forearm. She had the feeling that she unintenionally aroused memories in Nicole that might have been better buried.  
Nicole turned her eyes to Eve's hand and then looked her in the eyes as if she would find the strength to talk about her childhood which she never did.

"During my childhood, I spent a lot of time with my aunt and uncle, trying to make my parent's absence as comfortable as possible. Going on trips, going to fairs ... and at the end of the day, I always got a pink cotton candy, a big sweet cloud of endless happiness."

"Sounds like a nice memory." Eve hadn't averted her eyes from the tea. Nicole had the feeling to hear something like sadness but also envy in Eve's voice. To comfort her, Nicole put her left hand on Eve's back.

"We all have some nice memories of our childhood, right ?" Nicole glanced cautiously at Eve who still kept her eyes down. Her only reaction was a slight shrug and a barely audible sigh.  
Nicole suddenly remembered the conversation in the diner ... the story Eve told her. About the place she grew up and how the adults there dealt with her and her brother.  
Nicole bit her lip before she spoke.  
"I'm sorry ... I thought ... I forgot ... you told me how you grew up." Nicole stopped.

"It's alright ..." Eve began.

Nicole interrupted her quickly.  
"No. It was insensitive, sometimes I don't think about it before saying something."

"Can't imagine it with you." Eve looked at Nicole and smiled. "I have beautiful childhood memories. Except that there are no adults, just Adam and I. And I've never been to a funfair and I've never eaten cotton candy either – how does pink cotton candy taste ?" Eve had turned on the sofa to Nicole and waited anxiously for an answer.

"Uhm ... how does cotton candy taste ? Well, sweet ... it's just ... sugar." Nicole had also turned around, so that the two women now sat directly opposite each other on the couch. "At first it scratches your tongue a bit and when you eat it, it crunches wierdly, then there's just a sweet, sticky mass in your mouth that slowly dissolves."

Eve raised both eyebrows in disbelief.

"Wow. I seem to have missed a lot as a kid. Cotton candy ... okay, definitely point two on my to-do list, right behind 'climbing'."

A brief laugh of the two filled the living room for a moment, followed by a not unpleasant silence. Both leaned against the back of the sofa at the same time with their respective shoulder and as if someone had pressed a button with them, they also took a sip of tea.

"Eve ?"

"Hm ?"

"What was going on with you earlier, I mean, at the diner ?" Nicole looked at Eve with a worried look on her face. She waited a few seconds to give Eve the opportunity to answer. But there was no answer.

"You didn't react when I spoke to you, it wasn't until I touched your shoulder that I felt like you came back from wherever you were."

"For how long was I ... absent ?" Eve's voice was barely audible. These dreams, daydreams, ... it was one thing to dream these things, but in the presence of another person ... in broad daylight ... on the open road ! It must have been weird and maybe even scary for Nicole. And, probably, Nicole wasn't so easy to scare.

"It was not for long, maybe ..." Nicole shrugged, "... a minute or less ?"

"Okay." That's all Eve said. She knew she couldn't tell Nicole about the dreams, though she felt she had to talk about them.

"Okay, what ?" Nicole put her teacup on the table and slid closer to Eve on the sofa. In a slow motion, she reached for Eve's cup, after a motionless fight for the tea, Eve let the cup go and Nicole put it on the table. Meanwhile, she had her left hand on Eve's tigh, her right hand now moved slowly towards Eve's chin. Once there, she forced Eve with a slight pressure to look at her.

So passed a few seconds which felt like hours for both of them.

Nicole slowly leaned her upper body forward without losing eye contact with Eve who in turn didn't move. For a brief moment, Nicole's eyes turned to Eve's lips then back to her eyes.  
The distance between them narrowed ... Nicole's right hand moved to Eve's neck ... they came even closer ... Eve's lips opened ...

"Dreamer."

Shortly before her goal, Nicole stopped in surprise.

"What ?" A few small folds of surprise appeared on Nicole's forehead. She pulled her hands back and sat upright.

"Dreamer." Even Eve couldn't help but to see Nicole's lips for a moment. How would it feel to kiss her ? Stop !  
Eve turned to the table and reached for her cup.

"That's what my parents used to call me. Dreamer. As a kid I had such daydreams more often. Today ... was the first in years. Hm ... weird."

Nicole felt embarrassed ... had she misinterpreted Eve's friendliness ? Was she gone too far ? Actually, that wasn't her style at all !?

"Maybe ... caused by the accident and the stress."

Nicole had slipped to the end of the couch and held a pillow with both arms tightly entwined.

"Already possible. I think as a child it was the only way for me to escape reality, to be somewhere else ... just not on the farm of our community."

"Do you want to be somewhere else at the moment ?" Nicole hoped that Eve would deny the question.

Eve was already breathing to answer as a gold-colored fur monster came down the stairs loudly. Calamity Jane kept her eyes on Eve as she jumped down the last step and headed for the sofa. On Nicole's side she jumped on the armrest. With another jump CJ landed between the two women and made herself comfortable there. She closed her eyes but her tail hit the couch regularly to the right and left of her body.

"I'll have another cup of tea. Would you like one more ?" Nicole was already up when Eve answered.

"Gladly, maybe another variety ?" Over her shoulder, Eve could still see Nicole disappearing into the kitchen. "Purgatory really emcourages me to try new things." Even before Eve realized what she had said, she heard a cup drop to the floor in the kitchen and break.

"Nothing happened. I'm fine," Nicole's trembling voice sounded. Eve heard Nicole pushing the shards aside instead of picking them up, the getting a new cup out of a cupboard and plugging in the kettle.  
Good to know that there were still normal people in this city, not only demons. Although it was often easier to deal with the supernatural than with unpredictable people.

***

The drive to the Homestead didn't take long, as expected. They drove with open windows because the smell if the frog's mucus became unbearable over time. As a precaution, Waverly took an old foil that was still in the car and put it over the seats. She really didn't feel like having to clean her jeep after Wynonna and Dolls had left him.

The young Earp parked her car right in front of the porch. The wheels hadn't stopped yet when Wynonna opened the door and got out, closely followed by Dolls.

"I think we owe you a magic tree, babygirl."

"It's alright. Someone had to drive you home." Then Waverly turned to Dolls. "If you need help getting the SUV, just let me know."

"That's very nice of you." Dolls gave her a short nod and then headed for the porch.

"That wouldn't be necessary if Mr. Deputy Marhsall didn't think we should walk all the way back to town," Wynonna called over her shoulder.

"Didn't you want to take a shower ?" Waverly knew her older sister loved to tease her BBD partner. And every time, it was fun for Waverly to watch the two perform word-fights.

"Shower. Right.I owe you one, babygirl !"

"I'd say throw the clothes away but ..." Waverly smiled, knowing exactly how her sister would react.

"Are you crazy ? This is my favorite jacket !" Wynonna tossed the Jeep door and followed Dolls to the porch.

"Love you, sis." Wynonna waved goodbye and then disappeared inside the house. Waverly turned the red Jeep and drove back to town. The windows were still open and it would probably remain the next days. A small price to pay for as a demon hunter.

***

After Wynonna left Purgatory a few years ago and leaving Waverly alone, Waverly was struggling with self-doubt. With Wynonna she lost the last person from her immediate family.  
When Waverly was four years old, her mother left the family. Two years later, seven revenants raided the Earp Homestead. Ward Earp was accidentally killed by Wynonna and Willa kidnapped. A short time later, the oldest Earp was pronounced dead after her blood-soaked clothes were found. Wynonna and Waverly spent the next twelve years with their aunt and uncle. It wasn't an easy life. Wynonna had to contend with her own demons, while Waverly accused herself of being responsible for the fact that her mother had left the family.  
At 21, Wynonna left Purgatory and her little sister. She wanted to use it to protect Waverly but she didn't know that Waverly was trying to find her place in the Earp's family history. She began researching Wyatt Earp and all subsequent heirs, and it can be said that she found her true purpose in doing so.  
She wasn't the Earp heir but her brain was worth the same now as Peacemaker.

And honestly, on days like today, she was almost happy not to be the heir.

Waverly parked the jeep in front of the bar, got out and entered Shorty's. The traces of Wynonna were clearly discernible on the floor where she had stood and shaken the mucus from her jacket.  
Wynonna was really lucky that Waverly loved her so much. Without much thought, Waverly began cleaning the bar for the second time that day. Normally she would have been mad at Wynonna but today she welcomed the distraction.

There was still some time left until she opened the bar for the guests and started the daily business.

Waverly knelt on the floor and wiped the patched of Wynonna's slime rain when Rosita entered the bar. She let her eyes wander around the bar where she perceived all mucus stains. But not only that. For a moment, her eyes lingered on Waverly Earp, kneeling on the floor, supporting herself with her left hand and wiping the floor with her right hand. Her expression of absolute concentration seemed to be out of place here in the bar. But it also looked kind of cute how her tongue pointed out between her lips. Due to the contant movements of her arms and upper body, her shirt had slipped slightly upwards, revealing her lower back.  
As Waverly turned her head, she quickly realized where Rosita was looking. And it didn't bother her. As the eyes of the two met then, Rosita couldn't prevent the oncoming blush of her cheeks. She swallowed and considered how she could direct Waverly's attention to something else.

"What is it that smells so ..." Rosita wasn't allowed to finish her question before Waverly interrupted her.

"Grab a rag and help me, then I'll tell you the story about 'Wynonna and the Frog Prince." Rosita couldn't resist Waverly's inviting smile and the prospect of a likely funny tale. Just a moment later, the Latina was kneeling beside the young Earp on the floor of the bar. And while they were trying to remove the last bits of sticky slime together, Waverly reported what happened last night somewhere in the badlands and about an hour ago in the bar.

The next hours were filled with the laughter of the two young women, at the thought of Wynonna sitting in a slime puddle.

***

The next few hours were for everyone without any special occurrences.

Nicole and Eve enjoyed a second cup of tea. In the company of Calamity Jane, Nicole talked about her education at the Police Academy and her life in Purgatory. She never mentioned Waverly or her relationship with her.  
Eve had more and more the feeling that she could trust Nicole enough to tell her the truth about herself. But she didn't do it. Instead, she fantasized about a possible future of 'Eve'. Nicole gladly accepted this theme and also tried to paint a picture of the future Nicole Haught .. perhaps as sheriff of Purgatory ? Or maybe somewhere else ?

Waverly and Rosita had more work than expected. The slime was very difficult to remove from the old wooden floorboards. But it didn't bother the two. To distract them, they turned on the radio and cleaned to the rhythm of the music. They sang the songs loudly what fortunately no one heard except the two.  
Wet T-shirt competitions and karaoke nights could possibly provide even more guests and better sales in Shorty's. It was worth a try.

Wynonna and Dolls had showered one after another and put their clothes in the washing machine. Wynonna had offered her partner one of her shirts but he had thankfully refused. Wrapped in a towel, he sat on the sofa, waiting for his clothes. Wynonna stood in the doorway to the kitchen and watched Dolls. How he sat there, wearing only a towel ... 'Whiskey would not be bad at the moment', thought Wynonna.

***

It almost seemed like the coming hours would have been as uneventful as the last ... but Purgatory wasn't known to be a quiet town. Even if it wasn't always about demons and revenants.

***


	18. Chapter 18

# Chapter 18

Late afternoon. Scattered clouds swept the vast plains of the country around the Homestead, chasing their own shadows. The sun was already well over zenith and its course dropped to the horizon. The air was cool and clear and a light wind caught in the last blades of grass and shrubs. The year was slowly coming to an end. The temperatures were still pleasant during the day, but the nights could be quite cold. All life was trying to take advantage of the last rays of sunshine to gather enough energy for the upcoming winter.  
Well, there wasn't much alive out here. If a coyote or hare had been staying near the homestead, he wouldn't have stayed there long.

*gunshot*

"We need new bottles, cans or revenants. These have done their job." Wynonna laughed and kicked with her foot one of the cans which now consisted of more bullet holes than metal.  
Dolls bent down, picked up the can and put it on the fence with the others. After three futile attempts, it finally stood and waited patiently for the next bullet that would hit it and knock it to the ground.

"Are you still mad about the slime story ? That was fun." Dolls rolled his eyes. "Okay, maybe it wasn't fun, but we did our god damn job and sent three of these things back to hell. A perfect demon hunter days."

"We washed our clothes twice and it still smells like frog slime." Dolls pointed to the cans.  
Wynonna grabbed the collar of her jacket, smelled and wrinkled her nose. Then she pulled Peacemaker out of the holster and shot the cans off the fence. Dolls was only a cut away from the last can and Wynonna could barely see the last one under the outstretched arm of Dolls. But Wynonna would have hit her with her eyes closed ... at least she was firmly convinced what couldn't be said of Dolls. His eyes said something else.

Wynonna looked Dolls in the eyes. They began to glow, yellow, orange, as in the moments when his true interior came to light. For a moment Wynonna thought that this "thing" would take over the control over him. But this time, the glow was just the reflection of the sunset. Wynonna turned her head to one side. The bright star had changed color from dazzling white-yellow to flamming red-orange. The lower third had already disappeared on the horizon and it would not be long before the rest of the emerging night would give way.

"Whiskey time. Shorty's ?" It was not really a question and Wynonna didn't expect an answer. She knew that Dolls would not accompany her to Shorty's. He just wasn't the guy who spent his evenings in bars. Which wouldn't stop Wynonna from paying her little sister another visit to the bar.  
Wynonna didn't miss the skeptical look of her partner.

"If I can't drink whiskey yet, then at least I want to see and smell it." Out of the corner of her eye, Wynonna could see Dolls shaking his head.  
"Come with me ?" With a sweeping movement, Wynonna put the Peacemaker back in the holster and made her way to her truck.

"I have to ..."

Wynonna didn't give Dolls a chance to utter his sentence. She knew exactly what he would say.

"Okay, have fun with your ... whatever ..." She didn't even look back at him. She raised only one hand and waved goodbye. When she reached the truck, she got in and drove away.

Dolls stayed alone on the Homestead. He had nothing planned for the evening, it would be like almost every day. He would drive to the office, check Waverly's researches, read old case files from the local Sheriff's Department, and compare everything and look for similarities. Finally there was a lot to do here in Purgatory.

***

Calamity Jane had now made herself comfortable on one of the armrests of the sofa. The setting sun filled the living room with reddish light and a warmth that could not be measured in degrees, but could only be felt inside. It was a feeling of warmth that simultaneously sparked the eyes and made your face smile. A feeling of security and confidence, shrouded in the last rays of sunshine of the day, which announced the night, but also gave the promise of a new day.

"Wow, how fast time passes when you're engrossed in a conversation and a good cup of tea." Nicole was sitting at her end of the sofa, scratching CJ as she peered out through one of the windows. The light falling through the glass emphasized the color of her hair and made her cheeks look red. Maybe it was not just about the sunlight.

"You mean three cups of tea and a sandwich." Eve smiled. "But whose (who's) counting ?"  
Eve sat across from Nicole. Although CJ had changed her sleeping place, the distance between the two women hadn't diminished. They sat at each end of the couch, Nicole cross-legged and Eve had her right leg pulled to her chest, the left one stood on the floor. Both positions were unconsciously chosen so that they each offered protection and distance.

"I have taken your hospitality long enough now." Eve looked at her watch. "I should go."

"It was just tea and a sandwich, not worth mentioning."

Neither of them moved.

"Do you have something special planned for tonight ?" Nicole hadn't thought about it, but just asked. It seemed strange, after so many hours of talking, to just let Eve go now. "I mean, we a very good Asian restaurant in Purgatory, and since we only had one sandwich so far ... we could order something to eat."  
Eve had to smile. At the thought of the Asian food, she came to her conversation with Adam about the pros and cons of chopsticks.

"Does a smile mean 'yes' or 'no' ? You can take your food if you don't want to eat here." Nicole frowned and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Uhm ... I don't know ... we've been sitting here for hours and I really don't want to bother you anymore." Eve got up and looked around for her shoes.

"Eve !" Nicole had also got up. "You may disturb CJ, but certainly not me. I invited you here, and the idea of eating something was just a suggestion. I could eat something warm and you certainly too." Nicole wanted to touch Eve's arm but she resisted the temptation.

"Oh boy, I'm so stupid. Your brother ! I forgot your brother completely. He's probably worried."

Eve laughed softly.  
"Sorry if I have to laugh but Adam isn't worried for sure – first, he knows I can take good care of myself, second, he saw us go together, he knows where I am, and I don't think he's worried because I'm here, with you. I'm safe here, right ?"

Nicole couldn't answer. Her eyes fell on the photo of her and Waverly. She could only see the frame because she had put it on the cupboard, but she knew it was there. And she felt Waverly's eyes on her skin. But before she could think any longer about what Waverly would say to her now, Eve tore her out of her thoughts.

"Okay, food sounds good, but I pay." Eve had followed Nicole's gaze, not waiting for an answer from her.

"No way, it was my idea, then I can ..."

"... look for the phone number of the restaurant." Eve lächelte. "I have nothing else to do tonight. We could end the evening with a drink ... somewhere ... after dinner. And if you really want to, then you may pay the first round."

Nicole shook her head. "You're right. Adam isn't worried, he's probably glad to be alone for a few hours. You're pretty stubborn." Nicole took a flyer of the restaurant out of a drawer of her desk.

"Ey. I'm not that bad." Eve's pretended indignation made her voice sound like that of an insulted eight-year-old.

"Right." Nicole handed the flyer to Eve. "You are much worse !" Nicole said and winked at Eve. For a brief moment, both held the colored, shiny paper, then Nicole slowly let go and disappeared into the kitchen.

Eve scanned the menu and then opted for a vegetarian version of spring rolls. After asking Nicole what she wanted to eat, she dialed the restaurant's number and ordered the food.

With a view to a visit to a bar, both needed something to eat, as the basis for the alcohol.  
It would be a long evening ... night.

***

Slowly but surely the evening business started in Shorty's. Some of the tables were already occupied and a group of young men played pool and drank beer. The usual ... like almost every evening.  
The number of guests was still manageable, so that Waverly could handle the orders alone.  
Rosita had gone down to the basement and was back to making Dolls' medicine. She had promised Waverly to help her in the bar as soon as more guests arrived. But for the moment her attention was focused on bubbling and steaming liquids in small test tubes.

Waverly brought two glasses of beer to a table and then went to the pool table.

"Hey, guys, can I get you something else ?" With her usual smile that made it almost impossible to order anything, she leaned sideways with her hip against the table. The glasses of the young men weren't even half empty, yet they ordered the next round. Waverly accepted the order with a satisfied smile and headed back to the bar. She knew exactly how to deal with her customers. And in most cases it was easy enough to keep them happy. Usually her smile or a few nice words were enough. That's why she was liked by everyone. Okay, for the younger male guests, she was the reason they came to Shorty's, and each of them had tried to invite Waverly to a date - unsuccessfully.  
There were times when Waverly caught the attention the young men brought her. If they didn't get too intrusive, she flirted with them just for the sake of pleasure.  
It all stopped when she met Nicole. From that moment on she only had eyes for the red-haired cop with deep brown eyes and dimples Waverly just couldn't get enough of.

Unnoticed by Waverly, Wynonna had appeared in Shorty's and sat down at the counter.

"Hey, babygirl." Wynonna looked at her little sister with a look that wasn't easy to decipher. There was something between envy and dislike. Waverly wasn't sure what Wynonna wanted in Shorty's. She wasn't allowed to drink because of her pregnancy and here in the bar the whiskey literally hung in the air. What is volunarily such a torment ?

"What are you doing here, Wynonna ?"

"What ? Am I not allowed to stop by and looking over my little sister's shoulder at work ?"

"To be honest, I would not mind if you helped me here ... beer and whiskey are safe from you right now."

The wooden double door to the bar jumped open and a group of men came in and walked over to three tables to the right, shoved them together and sat down amid laughter.

"Safer than your guests anyway." Wynonna's eyes fell on one of the young men at her right. Champ Hardy ... really ? What was he doing here ? She hadn't seen him in Purgatory for ages.  
"You don't seem surprised. Don't say he's here because of you ?" Wynonna looked at her sister in disbelief. "Really ?"

"I heard he's just visiting friends in Purgatory. Leave him alone, Wyn." Waverly's voice sounded annoyed. She wasn't thrilled that her ex-boyfriend was back in town and was now in Shorty's with some of his old friends. But he was a guest like any other, so she would treat him like any other guest. Friendly, with a smile. Not more.

"If he touches you, he's dead."

"Wynonna !" Waverly just shook her head.

"I'm serious, maybe I'll break all his fingers ... one by one ... and then kill him." A grin spread on Wynonna's face.

"Wynonna !" Waverly aprreciated that her older sister would fight for her, but she was able to deal with Champ on her own. And Champ couldn't be so stupid to try anything with her, after everything that had happened in the meantime.  
First, to prove just that, but also to provide the new guests with drinks, Waverly joined the group.

"What can I get you ?"

Champ sat in the chair closest to the bar ... Waverly couldn't help but stand next to him.

"Beer, for everyone." One of the men to the left of Waverly ordered the first round. Then Champ spoke to her.

"Are you wearing bigger shirts now or have your tits gotten smaller ? They probably don't get enough attention !"

Everyone at the table laughed at Champ's comment.

"What ?" Waverly had expected stupid comments, but this came unexpectedly. Waverly's surprise shamelessly exploited Champ's and he put his hand on Waverly's butt.

"Honestly, your 'twins' couldn't complain to me about too little affection, the times have probably changed. I'm in town for a few days, if you need me ... my friends are sure to tell you where you can find me. Unless you can't wait, you must still have the key to the room upstairs."  
Waverly heard behind her how a bar chair was pushed across the floor. Wynonna was on the go to help her sister. In her head she already had the picture in front of her ... Champ kneeling on the floor wailing ... she would have her fun. But Waverly gave her a short signal without turning around, and Wynonna sat back on her chair ... disappointed.  
The young Earp had to shake briefly. First, because she couldn't believe what she had hear, second, because his way speaking with her was disgusting.  
Could he really be so brazen or was he just stupid ? Waverly knew the answer too well.  
The smile which had vanished from her face a few moments earlier, returned.

"If you don't wanna lose your hand, it's best to put it back on the table. You'll need it elsewhere ... when you're alone again."

The laughter at the table grew louder as Waverly returned to the bar and Champ actually laid his hand on the table.

Waverly headed straight for Wynonna. Her eyes lowered, she stopped in front of her sister. As Wynonna put a hand under her chin, Waverly raised her eyes again and looked into the smiling face of her sister.

"Well done, baby girl. No one can tell me you're not an Earp. I'm proud of you." Waverly couldn't stop her business smile from turning into a broad, contented grin. She was also proud of herself, though the warning to Champ would never come true. But the very thought that he had believed her had been worth switching to Wynonna mode.

For the rest of the evening, Champ wouldn't be a nuisance, Waverly was absolutely sure. She had made it too clear that he and his crude overtures were unwanted.

However, it shouldn't be a quiet evening for Waverly.

***

About two hours later ...

"And you come here if you want to relaxe, really ?" Eve struggled to suppress a grin. "I had a different opinion of you."

"Well, it's not like that, you said you wanted to go for a drink ..."

The two women were standing in the parking lot of Pussy Willows. A starry night over their heads – cold air warmed in their lungs and exhaling as a fine mist in the air – clear signs that in a short time fall would captivate the little town and then hand over to the cold winter's firm grip.  
They had left Pussy Willows so abruptly that they still held their jackets in their hands. Eve put on a jacket and then turned to Nicole.

"Wait, I'll help you." Eve held Nicole's jacket and Nicole slipped her arms in her sleeves.  
Inverted world – usually she helped her companion into the jacket. This way ... it felt wrong ... but also ...

"Okay, this ..." Eve pointed with her thumb at Pussy Willows, "... establishment. I wanted to have a drink, that's right. But I didn't want that a ... how do you call it ? A dancer ? ... staring at me ... staring at my boobs all the time and then trying to sit on my lap." Eve raised both eyebrows.

"Oh, she wouldn't have sat on your lap." Nicole shook her head. "They just want to make more money, and it's helpful to turn you on a bit, but there's not much body contact." Nicole sounded absolutely like a cop, Eve thought. Just the right time to tease her a little bit.

"Okayyyy – I better not ask why you know that."

Nicole blushed a little and her horrified expression was exactly what Eve wanted to achieve.

"Oh god ... no ... what do you think about me ? You know that ... as a cop ... I mean ... To be honest, I was here with a friend, only one time."

Nicole remembered this visit. She was here with Wynonna to find a potential father of her child. As it turned out, he was a member of the dwindling red-eyed population in Purgatory. The evening was an up and down of emotions. At the request of Waverly, Nicole was to take care of Wynonna, mommy-sit as she called it. Then they ended up in Pussy Willows. A few drinks later, and after a brief phone call between Nicole and Waverly, the three women hauled poor Jonas, Wynonna's '10-minutes-one-night-stand', in the trunk of Nicole's police cruiser. At the end there was only a puddle of melted snow, where Jonas had set out on his journey to hell, and a mighty hungover that Nicole wouldn't soon forget.

"With your girlfriend ?" Eve pursued.

"No, no, she is ... just a friend." 'The older sister of my girlfriend ... ex-girlfriend ?' Nicole thought.

"Okay, so after this ..." Eve pointed at the door of Pussy Wollows, "was a flop what are we going to do now ?"

"Uhm ... we ... we could ..."

"How about this Western bar ? Shorty's, right ?"

Eve could tell Nicole that she was thinking about the excuse not to go to Shorty's. But, if Nicole was honest, Shorty's was the better choice compared to Pussy Willows.

"Yeah ... yeah, why not, so Shorty's." Nicole exhaled audibly.

Only a few minutes later, the two women entered the bar, which was now well attended.

***

Waverly felt a warm soft hand settle on her shoulder.

"Already there ... as promised." Rosita was close behind Waverly. She had worked in the basement until the guests in the overlying bar were indestructible. Concentrated work on Dolls' medicine was now out of the question, so the latina decided it was time to help the young Earp.

"Thank God, just in time," Waverly said, smiling, and placed the fifth full beer glass on top of the counter, all ready to be taken to one of the crowded tables.

"I'll take them." Rosita walked around the counter, took the glasses from the counter with her practiced hands, and looked questioningly at Waverly. "Where ?"  
Waverly just nodded toward a table where a group of men sat and talked loudly.

It was easier for Waverly to do the work since Rosita was at her side. Everything went faster and the two women had a lot of fun together.

When Rosita returned empty handed, she nodded approvingly.

"It's pretty crowded here, but I see you had everything under control." She was standing right next to Waverly, putting her hand on her back, not thinking if it was okay for the Earp, before she spoke again.

"I can only see one guest who has nothing to drink on the table in front of herself and probably looks like one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Rosita and Waverly turned their heads at the same time and looked at Wynonna. "I have to improve my statement, she looks like all four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in one person."  
Waverly bit her lip but couldn't stop herself from starting to laugh. "The modern version of them – in a leather jacket and with a motorbike instead of a horse."

Waverly and Rosita seemed to have the same image of Wynonna in mind at the same time. The two turned to each other and fell laughing into each others arms. For days, it was Waverly's first laugh came from the heart.  
Whether it was caused only by the idea of Wynonna as "Horseman of the Apocalypse", or whether Rosita's presence contributed to it ... who knows ?

The wooden double door to the bar opened and Nicole and Eve entered the interior. Both wore a smile on their faces and had left behind the confused images of Pussy Willows.  
Shorty's was more to the taste of the two women. On the way from bar to bar, their conversation had become looser, and the moment they entered Shorty's, Nicole put her hand on Eve's shoulder and laughed. Nicole's hand slid from her shoulder to the back of her escort and she led Eve to one of the newly vacant tables. She had seen from the corner of her eye a group standing up to leave the bar.  
On the way to the table Nicole turned her head to the counter and saw Waverly in Rosita's arms. At the same moment Waverly turned her head and saw Nicole, who had entered the bar in the company of Eve. Their eyes met and the smiles disappeared from both faces.

__

_I don't talk, I don't breathe_  
I won't move 'til you finally see  
That you belong to me

You might think I don't look  
But deep inside, in the corner of my mind  
I'm attached to you

Nicole's gaze wandered for a moment to one of the speakers of the radio. After a momentary blink, she looked down and then back to Waverly. Nicole's features had softened and seemed almost sad. Even Waverly had noticed that.

"You okay ?" Eve noticed the mood change in Nicole.

"Yeah." Nicole put on a smile that Eve couldn't fool for a second.

"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come here." Eve looked at Waverly and Rosita, they were still close together, and Rosita's left hand was on Waverly's hip.

"No, it's okay, way better than Pussy Willows." At the thought of the half-naked girls clinging to the chrome bars and dancing to the music, Eve and Nicole had to laugh again. Yes, Nicole had to admit that Shorty's was better, despite Waverly's presence.

 

"Waves ?" Rosita followed Waverly's gaze to Nicole and Eve. "Did you know that she ..." Rosita began.

"... is with her ..." Waverly swallowed hard. She couldn't or didn't want to complete the sentence.

"No, I meant that Nicole would come here." The latina looked at the young Earp. Was that disappointment, jealosy, what did she see in her face ? "Is that a ... do you think this is a date ?" Rosita looked back to the two women at the table. "Oh, you know, we'll find out." With that, Rosita turned and was about to leave when she felt Waverly's hand on her forearm.

"No, Rosi." Waverly shook her head. "Just ask them what they want to drink, please." Waverly looked the dark-haired pleading in the eyes. She knew that everything at the table near the bar was Nicole's private affair.

 

"Beer ?" Nicole pushed her chair back, ready to get up, go to the bar and get the drinks.

"Yeah. And you know the first round is up to you."

Nicole got up and looked after the bar. Waverly and Rosita stood close together, looking each other in the eye, for them the time seemed to stand still. Likewise for Nicole when she saw Waverly's hand on Rosita's arm.  
For Nicole, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion for a few seconds. All the noises sounded like they were coming from the bottom of the sea, and all the lamps seemed to have gone out, except for the one directly above the bar. As if by a spotlight, the 'couple' stood behind the counter.  
Without noticing, Nicole had held her breath.  
And as if someone had pressed a button, all began again to move at normal speed, all the lights went on again, the music and voices became clearer again.  
Only Nicole was still standing motionless. It took her a little longer to get rid of this feeling of heaviness from her body.  
Nicole turned to Eve, leaned toward her and put her hand on Eve's.

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance to pay for a round. There'll be plenty of it," Nicole said with a wink and walked over to the bar.

 

When Waverly saw Nicole approaching, she released Rosita's arm and turned to a guest on the other side of the counter, so Nicole had to give up her order to Rosita.

"Two beers, please." Nicole leaned calmly at the bar and waited.

When Rosita put the second glass on the counter, she wanted to ask Nicole something, but she had no opportunity to do so. Nicole already had the glasses in her hand and returned to her table.

"Hm, today doesn't seem to be the National Day of Communication." She raised her eyebrows, wiped the counter, and went to one of the tables to clear empty glasses and take new orders.

 

Nicole put the glasses on the table and sat down. The two women each raised their own glass.

"So, and what are we drinking on ?" Eve asked.

"Having a nice evening ?" Nicole smiled.

Eve nodded. "To a new, successful friendship." Eve nodged Nicole's glass with her own and took a sip, as did Nicole.

"Successful ? Sounds inappropriately in connection with friendship."

"You'll see." Eve put her glass back on the table and looked around. The bar was busy as it was probably almost every night.

"Do you know what you are going to do ?" Nicole took another sip of her beer.  
Eve frowned questioningly.  
"Your brother and you, are you staying here in Purgatory?"

"Oh, oh, my brother and I. I think we'll go on. Adam doesn't feel so good here, I think." Eve wiped small drops of water from her glass with her thumb, which merged on her thumb into a larger drop and finally dripped onto the table.  
"I, on the other hand, would like to stay." Eve looked Nicole in the eye. 'Why have I said that?' They had never intended to stay in Purgatory.  
They just wanted to make a short stop here in town and provide Wynonna and her team with informations about the Black Badge Division and to get them to help Eve and Adam break up the dodgy organization.

At this point their conversation ended for the time being. Eve was still confused about her statement and Nicole didn't know what to answer. Both women focused for a few minutes on their beer, which meant that the glasses were empty very quickly.

Eve raised her empty glass and wanted to take a sip ... her eyes fell on Nicole's glass.

"I think it's my turn now." Eve stood up, reached for the empty glasses and walked to the bar. Nicole barely had time to react before Eve stood at the bar.

"Two beer." Rosita hesitated for a moment as Eve put the glasses in front of her. She knew that Nicole was not drinking. Well, at least not overly. She looked at the officer at the table. Nicole sat in her chair, her upper body supported on both forearms, her head down. Party mood looked different. But there were many reasons to drink ...  
With a quick nod to Eve, Rosita took the empty glasses, set them aside, and filled two new ones. Rosita activited the tab and the first glass filled with the golden liquid and slowly formed a small head of foam. While Eve waited, she looked around the bar.

~~~

_A man stood next to Eve at the bar. He wore a black coat and a matching Stetson. Fine dust lay on his shoulders and hat._

__

_"What does a charming young lady in an establishment like this do ?" He seemed to ignore Eve completely and directed his question directly to the young woman behind the bar. In her left hand she held the glass, which she dried with a cloth in her right hand. The young woman smiled shyly and only at second glance did Eve recognize Rosita. However, a few years younger._  
_But how ...?_  
_Eve looked around the bar now. The floor was dirty, dotted with dusty boot prints. Men were sitting on round tables, glasses with whiskey in front of them, playing poker. An older man with thin white hair was sitting on a piano that was probably just as old. His crooked fingers flew over the keys, playing a song that Eve didn't know but still made her feel familiar._

_"Whiskey ?" The gentle voice of the young woman again made Eve turn her attention to the bar._

_"How could I resist this offer ?" The man reached for the offered glass before the bar woman could let it go. He ran his thumb over the back of her right hand. Eve could see that the woman was very uncomfortable with this touch._  
_The doors to the bar squeaked open and it was suddenly quiet in the bar. Even the old man on the piano stopped playing._  
_The next sound was the cocking of a revolver._

_"Stay away from her !"_

_Eve hadn't turned yet and didn't dare to move. The face of the young woman seemed to relax for a moment. The eyes under the edge of the black Stetson, however, darkened and Eve could clearly see the tension in the jaw muscles, which suggested no good. But the man moved just as little as Eve._

_"I said 'stay...away...from...her' !" The voice was that of a man about the same age as the barmaid. Her boyfriend ? Husband ?  
His voice trembled a little, but it was barely audible. To emphasize his request, he spoke slowly and emphasized every single word. Probably to give himself more courage._

_"Make me !" The lips had barely moved and the voice was nothing more than a scratch. Then everything went fast._

_The man pulled his hand away from the glass. And in a fluid motion he wiped his coat to one side, grabbed his revolver, pulled it out of the holster ... at the same time he turned to the young man at the door ...  
As his head turned in the same direction, his eyes met Eve's ... steel-blue eyes surrounded by small wrinkles, abysmal and icy cold ... the young man wouldn't be the first and certainly not the last man on his death list …_

_Eve heard tables and chairs being overturned and the other guests trying to get to safety. She herself couldn't move.  
Her hand was on the counter, completely relaxed ... someone would die in the next millisecond, but not Eve …_

~~~

Eve was startled as a hand touched her shoulder. She shook her head briefly, as if she could drive thoughts out of her head and looked at Rosita. The latina looked back at her worriedly.

"Is everything okay with you ?"

'Not again !' Eve sighed. "Yeah, everything is fine." She saw the two full glasses standing on the counter in front of her. "Can I have two shots too ?" Eve was not about to get drunk, but the 'daydreaming thing' was starting to get on her nerves. This one was different than the others before. She knew someone in this dream – Rosita.

"Okay." Rosita put two shot glasses on the counter, filled them and pushed them to Eve.  
Eve took the glasses and went back to Nicole. She put the glasses down and sat opposite Nicole on her chair.

"Wow, what are you doing ?" Nicole was surprised. She had expected the beer, the two smaller glasses, however, were a surprise.

"I didn't know if you ..." Eve pointed to the glasses with the clear liquid. "I should have asked."

"It's okay. I think I'll survive one of them." Nicole winked at Eve and lifted the small glass. Eve hesitated.

"Did you change your mind ?" Nicole still held her glass in her hand and started to smile. Eve shook her head.

"No, I definitely need something stronger than beer." With that, Eve took her shotglass and sank it in her beer glass. Nicole frowned as Eve took her beer glass, took a deep breath and then emptied it on one go.

Eve took another deep breath.  
"I'm feeling better now." Eve put her glass back on the table. Nicole hadn't move in the meanwhile, and her expression changed from confusion to astonishment and amusement. After a brief shake of her head, she emptied her shot glass and then took a long sip of her beer to get rid of the burning sensation in her throat. She didn't intend to imitate Eve. She pointed a finger at Eve's glass.

"Your glass is empty." Both had to laugh.  
"It almost looks like I have to get a new one." Eve got up to go to the bar again.  
Nicole grabbed her by the arm.

"Maybe you should take a break ... we can share my beer, if you like." Eve sat down in silent agreement.

 

Waverly was walking around the counter with empty glasses as her eyes fell on Nicole, whose hand rested on Eve's arm. She couldn't see Nicole's face, but she didn't have to. Even so, she had a strange feeling in the stomach.

"Waves, can you bring the five beers over to the pool table ? ... Waves ?" When Waverly didn't respond, Rosita eyes followed Wavery's right over to Nicole.

"Come on, we have a lot to do." Waverly sighed and brought the empty glasses to the kitchen.

 

Wynonna had watched everything from a table in the far corner of the bar. Nicole, who had apparently come to Shorty's with a date, and Waverly, whose smile always disappeared from her face when she didn't have to talk to one of the guests. Wynonna couldn't stand it any longer. She decided to go home, but not without giving the officer a little Wynonna-typical comment on the way.

 

Wynonna got up and want to the bar. Waverly was just coming back from the kitchen.

"Baby girl. I'm going home. Are you okay here ?" Wynonna nodded slightly towards Nicole.

"Yeah, of course, you saw me dealing with my ex's." Waverly tried to smile.

"This is something completely different, sis."

"Wynonna, go home, put your legs up and enjoy the rest." Waverly leaned forward and kissed her older sister on the cheek. "Besides, Rosita is still here with me."

"That doesn't reassure me at all." Wynonna's eyes fell on Rosita, who was refilling another glass at the tap. Waverly sighed.

"Wynonna, go home !"

"Okay, okay, I'm already gone, love you, baby girl."

"Love you too."

 

Wynonna waited for Waverly to turn her back. Then she went to Nicole's table.

"You promised not to break her heart, Nicole."

"Nicole ? What happened to all the nicknames you came up with for me ?" Nicole smiled.

"You have to earn them !" That ended the conversation and Wynonna left the bar.  
Nicole watched in confusion after her. 'Well, I probably deserve that.'  
She knew only too well that Wynonna would always defend her little sister.

Nicole had fallen in love with the young Earp, which didn't mean that she was also friend with Wynonna. On the contrary. Nicole had tried to make friends with Wynonna.  
At first it was Nicole's uniform that prevented the two women from getting closer. Wynonna had no good relationship with the police and so all officials weren't friends. When Wynonna learned that her little sister and the officer were a couple, the older Earp's protective instinct awoke. If you asked Wynonna ... no one was good enough for Waverly. It took some time for Wynonna to accept the redhead by her sister's side, but not anymore. Nicole had acquired respect in the last few months by working with the Black Badge Division, but only slowly developed the professional connection between Wynonna and Nicole to something that could almost be called friendship.  
Had Nicole destroyed that now ?

 

"What was that ? You broke someone's heart ?"

"That was ... the older sister of my ex-girlfriend ..." Nicole lifted one of her hands defensively. "it's a complicated story."

"You just broke up recently ?"

"I don't know if we did that at all. We're not talking to each other right now, which means we broke up, right ?" Nicole shook her head. "As I said, it's complicated."

"Maybe you just need a bit of distraction. How about pool ? All we have to do is ask the guys if they'll let us have the table." Nicole looked at the pool table and saw that just Champ and his friends stood around the green table and played.

"How about we play against the boys ?" Nicole smiled.

"Sounds good. And since your beer is almost empty, I'll get two new glasses and you'll go to talk to the guys ?" Eve was already up and halfway to the bar. Nicole nodded and started grin. Convincing Champ and his friends to play a pool game against two women might not be too difficult.

Nicole also got up and headed for the group of young men who had just started to talking loudly.

"Hey, hey, guys." Nicole provocatively opposed Champ. "I see you don't agree on who wins. How about I make you an offer, your two best players against me and my friend. What do you think ?"

Nicole now had the full attention of the entire group.

"And why should we do that ?" asked one of the guys and wanted to continue playing without waiting for an answer, but Champ took the black ball from the table.

"Ey, Champ ! What's that ?"

"I think we should give this two ladies a chance. And the loss will pay for the next round, for the entire group, of course." Champ sounded confident of victory. He know that Nicole wasn't playing pool very well. Not like Wynonna. It should be easy to beat her and the other young woman and get free beer.  
Champ looked at Nicole. "Two of us against you two, agreed." The two shook hands to accept the challenge.

 

Eve had to wait a moment before Waverly had time for her.

"Hi, Waverly, two beer, please." Eve smiled at Waverly and Waverly smiled back.

"This is your third, right ?" Eve nodded. "Nicole doesn't normally drink that much."

"Okay." The two looked at each other silently for a moment. "Does that mean you don't want to give us beer anymore ?"

"No, you get your beer." Waverly began to fill the first glass. Her eyes fell on Nicole and Champ, who shook hands. Waverly frowned. The two looked like friends, but in truth they didn't liked each other. They stood so quietly next to each other and smiled, it couldn't mean anything good.

Waverly put the two glasses on the counter.

"Thank you." Eve took the glasses and walked over to the pool table. Waverly only nodded briefly.

"Interesting game ?" Rosita suddenly stepped behind Waverly and put her hand on Waverly's back.

"Possibly."

"Is that Nicole ?"

"Yeah, and my ex, Champ. They don't really like each other, I don't feel good when I see them like that."

"It has calmed down a little, so if you want to keep an eye on them ... I have no problem with it." Rosita's hand stroked Waverly's back.

"Thank you." Waverly kissed Rosita lightly on the cheek, took a couple of empty glasses from the counter, and went to the kitchen.  
From the corner of her eye Nicole had also noticed the fleeting kiss at the bar.  
When Waverly came back the pool had just started. To Waverly's surprise Champ wasn't playing but Richie and Paul. Champ stood by with a smile and enjoyed the game.

It was Nicole's turn to get to the table. She focused the white ball. Eve came close to Nicole.

"We're really bad." Eve laid a hand on Nicole's shoulder with a smile. "But I trust you, you can do that."

Champ watched the two women, then looked to the bar. His eyes fell on Waverly, who had also followed the course of the game. Champ saw the empty eyes of his ex-girlfriend, then an idea came to him. A big grin appeared on his face. He turned to Paul and whispered something in his ear.

Nicole continued the game and sank the yellow ball. But still the guys were winning. She walked slowly around the table to think about her next move. Eve watched Nicole. She had stopped, leaning on the table with both hands. Her narrowed eyes wandered from one ball to another, her tongue slipping slowly over her lower lip, her fingers drumming nervously on the frame of the table.

But all reasoning didn't lead to success and the boys were back in the series. Paul looked at Champ, who nodded slightly.

Paul missed his goal.

Eve took her team into lead after sinking 3 balls in a row.

Both Champ and Waverly watched as Nicole and Eve lay in each other's arms and the game continued.

A few minutes later, only the black ball was on the table. It should be a pretty easy push for Paul. But after a quick look at Champ, he missed his goal, albeit very close.

"Your chance, ladies." Champ raised his glass and took a sip. The black ball lay so that even a slight gust of a wind would have sufficed to sink it. The only problem was that the white ball was at the other end of the table and Eve was already feeling the effect of the alcohol in her head. It took her a moment to get herself in the right position. Her upper body lay on the table, she close one eye, then the white ball hit the black one and ... victory for Eve and Nicole. The two women high-fived and then embraced each other.

"Congratulation." Champ leaned against the pool table and held two shot glasses in his hands. "Your price."

Nicole broke away from Eve and looked at Champ confused.

"I thought it was beer ?" Nicole hesitated. She had already drunk enough for an evening, and as a member of the Purgatory's Sheriff's Department she shouldn't be seen drunk in public.

"Your glasses are still half full, it would be a pity about the good beer." Champ gave each woman a glass and looked at them challengingly.  
Without further thought, Nicole emptied her glass. She didn't want to give Champ the satisfaction she would pinch.  
The liquid was burning in her throat, but she didn't have much time to recover from the shot.

"Give us the chance to revange ?" Champ already began to arrange the balls on the table. "Two new players, Jason and me ?" Champ smiled barely. Jason and he were the better players.

"And what's the price this time ? I mean, I think we've had enough to drink for an evening." Nicole looked at Eve, who nodded her approval.

"How about we set the price after the game ?" Champ looked Nicole in the eye. Nicole saw his smile that he was planning something, but acceped the challenge. They won the first game and they would win the second as well.

Champ pointed to the other end of the table. "You may start."

 

Waverly wondered a little about Champ's demeanor. Normally, he always looked like a little smaller when he faced Nicole. He was then almost intimidated. Maybe that was because of her uniform, which she usually wore. His expression then always showed his aversion to the officer.

Today, everything was different. Waverly couldn't see the slightest trace of uncertainty about him. He stood opposite Nicole, smiling at her. He even gave her a drink. Something was wrong. But Waverly could do no more than watch them.

 

After only a few minutes everyone knew who would win this second game. On the table lay only the black ball, surrounded by the balls that belonged to Nicole and Eve.  
Eve leaned against Nicole's shoulder, turned her head so that her mouth was only inches from Nicole's ear. As Eve began to speak, Nicole could feel the warm breath on her skin and a shiver ran down her spine. Without realizing it, she held her breath.

"It doesn't look that good for us, but our chances are rising ... every ball that is sunk now is one of ours." Eve smiled. "It's your turn." Eve turned back to the table. When Nicole didn't respond, Eve nudged her with her shoulder.

"Hey, you okay ?"

Nicole let our a breath and then swallowed. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking ..."

"You don't have to think anymore. You have a choice. Just not the black one, but otherwise ..." Eve raised a hand and drove it all over the table, bowing slightly, like a trader giving his hesitant customer his offered exotic goods.

"Your decision."

'My desicion,' thought Nicole. She looked from Eve over to the bar. Waverly spoke to one of the guests and smiled. For a brief moment, there was only one person in the bar ... Waverly Earp ... wearing her Shorty's shirt which Nicole liked so much. Until ... the guest went back to his table and Waverly turned back to the pool table. Her eyes met those of Nicole.

"My decision, right." Nicole moved to the short side of the table, just opposite the bar. She leaned on the table, in her eyes, Waverly Earp. She had made her dicision and sunk the red ball. She stood at the other end of the table and ... blue ... sunk.

 

Waverly's gaze wandered over Nicole's body. From her arms, over her shoulders, her back, to her ... 'Waves !' ... but she couldn't stop looking at the young officer. The tight jeans emphasized Nicole's body in exactly the right places. Her long legs made her easy to put her upper body on the pool table. Her feet were crossed. Nicole's blue sweatshirt had slipped up a bit, revealing a part of her lower back.  
Waverly's breathing was faster and her mouth felt dry. She simply couldn't avert her gaze.

"You're staring." The familiar voice was very close. As if it only existed in her head. But it was Rosita standing close behind her.

"I did not !" Rosita raised her eyebrows.

"No ?" Rosita's hand cautiously grabbed Waverly's chin and slowly turned her head to one side.  
"Everyone is staring at Nicole's butt right now." Waverly saw the faces of the men sitting at their tables, looking toward the pool table. Looking at Nicole. Rosita was right.

"I as well." When Waverly turned her head back to Rosita, she saw the Latina smile and shrug. "What should I do ? In these jeans ..."

"I know." The two women at the bar began to laugh and their attention returned to the pool game. Rosita put an arm around Waverly's waist as if by magic. Waverly didn't seem to mind, on the contrary. Her hand also moved from the counter to the back of her colleague, wandering up to her shoulder und pulling her a little closer.

 

Nicole had sunk two more balls in the meantime. But four more balls were still on the table.

"Not bad for a woman." Champ and his friends laughed. "Putting it in is more like my thing." The laughter grew louder.  
Nicole looked with disdain at Champ. What did she expect from this child ? Sooner or later such slogans had to come.

"You have no idea," whispered Nicole, thinking that no one had heard her. But Eve had heard her. She walked slowly past Nicole, who prepared herself for her next move. Eve's hand stroked Nicole's butt and Nicole turned her head to Eve. There was a big grin on Eve's face as she turned to Champ.

"Never underestimate your opponent's abilities, you might be surprised."

Nicole bit her lower lip and could barely suppress a laugh. She turned her attention back to the table and focused on the white ball, her target ... the blue ball on the other end of the table. The path was too far, the white ball grazed the blue one and then stopped at the edge.

"Tz ... that's a pity, I thought you could be dangerous, but your success was short-lived." Champ looked at Nicole straight in the eye. Nicole had initially thought Champ would just talk stupid things. But now she was sure that all of his intimation related to Nicole's failed relationship with Waverly.

"Maybe we should change the rules a little so you have a chance." Champ went to one of the tables, took his glass and took a sip.

"Do you really think I need or want your help, and who said you got another chance just because I lost ?"  
Eve looked back and forth between Nicole and Champ. Somehow she had lost the connection during the conversation. But obviously it wasn't about the game anymore.

"We're not even done with playing. You admit you've lost, well, let's make it officially now." Champ put his glass back on the table and without hesitating, he sank the black ball.

"Well done, bro." Jason patted on Champs shoulder approvingly. "I would say you bring us the next round now."

"Shut up, Jason."

"But we won !"

"Yeah, we have. But I decide the price." Champ smiled.

Champ sat relish on one of the corners of the pool table and put on a thoughtful face. But Nicole knew that he already knew what the price should be.

"Now, spit it out, Champ. If you want to play Officer for one day, wear one of the uniforms and drive a police cruiser ... Nedley will be thrilled. He's a big fan of you. Too bad that you never passed the preliminary law enforcement exam. But the questions are really hard." Nicole's face reflected regret. But everyone knew that Champ would never have become a good officer. He wanted to wear the uniform only to indicate it and to improve his chances among the female population. He was never interested in the job.

"I would be a better officer than you will ever be." Champ had jumped from the edge of the table and was now facing Nicole.

 

Waverly held her breath. She was already on her way to the pool table when Rosita held her back.

"They have to solve that on their own. You know that."

Waverly nodded in agreement. There was only one moment of open confrontation between Nicole and Champ, and it ended with Nicole handcuffing him. For Champ, it was one of the most humiliating moment in his life. And he just seemed to have been waiting for the right moment to avenge himself.

Nicole took a step backwards, away from Champ.

"Since we'll never find out, how about you finally say what you want, Champ."

Champ had erased the memory of the humiliation and started to smile.

"I want a kiss."

"What ? Are you crazy ?"

"Oh, no, no. You shouldn't kiss me." For a moment, Champ grimaced. He certainly didn't want to be kissed by Nicole. Then he saw Nicole's expression. She didn't like the idea any more than he did. But he also wanted something completely different.  
"But her." Champ pointed to Eve.

"Absolutely no way." Eve was determined not to give Champ the satisfaction of putting Nicole in public in a situation she was obviously uncomfortable with.  
By now, the whole town knew that Nicole was gay, but that didn't mean it was okay for Nicole to kiss a woman in a bar.

"Come on, Champ. I'll pay you the next two, from my point of view, three rounds."

"We had an agreement. The price is set after the game and you know the price." Champ sat down on the edge of the table again. "What's up ? I'm waiting."

Nicole actually seemed to think about fulfilling Champ's wish.

"Nicole, no ! You know why he does that." Eve looked closely at Nicole as her brain worked. The pros and cons weighed against each other. The longer Nicole considered, the wider became Champ's grin.

For Nicole, it was a matter of honor. She had actually given her word. And usually she didn't break word. On the other hand, this was another situation. It was just a game. Actually not a serious promise, but a promise. And it was just a kiss, right ? So no big deal.

 

Waverly had been distracted for a moment. A guest had ordered drinks for his table and Waverly was just coming back to the bar when she saw Champ standing in front of Nicole. He nodded towards Eve and Eve seemed to say something to Nicole. Nicole, however, didn't move a millimeter. She just stood there staring at Champ.  
Nicole had still not moved.  
Eve looked at her from the side and decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Okay, listen, Champ. The fun is over and you're about to cross a line." Eve put her hand on Nicole's shoulder and wanted to push her from the pool table towards the exit. But Nicole didn't move.  
Eve's eyes wandered from Champ to Nicole.

"It's just a kiss, no big deal amongst girls, right ?"

"He's right. No big deal." Nicole didn't take her eyes off Champ, whose grin was so wide that it almost hurt.

"What ?" Eve looked at Nicole in surprise and took a step closer, so that only Nicole could hear her, as she continued to speak.  
"You really want to give him what he wants ? Are you crazy ? That's totally inappropriate. We should get them the beer or anything else to drink and then go."

Nicole shook her head slowly. As it had been a few minutes earlier ... she had made her decision. She turned her head to Eve and looked into her eyes.

"You're not serious, are you ?" For a brief moment a dispute arose between Nicole and Eve, that was fought only with the eyes. And Nicole kept the upper hand.

"You know this is a mistake on so many levels." Nicole nodded and turned to Eve. Nicole was well aware of who was watching them now. But that didn't keep her from doing what she had to do.

Nicole was standing right in front of Eve. She raised her right hand and placed it on Eve's cheek. The breath of both women went faster. Nicole ran her tongue over her lower lip and then leaned forward. But Eve took a step backwards until the pool table stopped her movement. Again a short silent conversation began between the women. Nicole followed Eve and this time there would be no way out.  
Eve leaned with both hands sideways on the pool table and leaned her upper body backwards, as far away as possible from Nicole. All the sounds in the bar seemed to have been muted and time had stopped. There was only Eve and Nicole now. Nicole smiled and leaned forward. She noticed how Eve's eyes moved to her mouth and back to her eyes. Nicole and Eve kept eye contact until their lips touched. At first only very lightly, carefully, then Nicole increased the pressure of her lips. She put her hands on Eve's hips and pulled her own body closer to Eve's. Eve closed her eyes and put her hands first on Nicole's, then moved on, over her arms to her shoulders. When they finally reached Nicole's neck, Eve also returned the kiss. Nicole's hands also continued to move up until her right hand found her place on Eve's lower back and her left between her shoulder blades.

Neither woman heard the whistling of the young men around them. And no one noticed Waverly watching them. From the bar. With tears in her eyes, she saw the kiss intensify. Even Nicole's eyes were closed now and she parted her lips as Eve's tongue asked for inlet. Waverly didn't want to look at it any longer and she left the bar for the kitchen. How could Nicole do that ? In the bar ? In front of her eyes ? She felt the first tears running down her cheeks.

Champ watched the whole scene with great satisfaction. Not because the kiss was much more than he expected, but above all because the kiss had the hoped-for effect on Waverly.

Slowly Nicole broke away from Eve, mouth open and eyes close. It took a few seconds for both of them to return to reality. Both were breathing hard.  
After their lips completely lost contact, they slowly opened their eyes.  
Eve was the first to be able to move. She broke free of Nicole's embrace. Suddenly, Champ started clapping next to Nicole.  
"Impressive. Maybe a bit too impressive ?" Champ had been at the bar in the meantime and held a shot glass in his hand. He handed it to Nicole.

"You really deserve that."

"You got what you wanted." Nicole's voice was completely emotionless. Not because she felt nothing, but because there were so many different emotions raging in her head at the same time like a hurricane.

"Hell, yeah. I have." Champ laughed. "And so much more." He looked at the bar and Nicole followed his gaze. Waverly ! Nicole's eyes searched in vain for the young Earp.  
Rosita glanced after Waverly, then her eyes met Nicole's. She raised both hands, palms up, shaking her head, silently asking Nicole, "Why ?"

Nicole looked at Champ again and took a step towards him. Startled, the young man staggered backward and stumbled over the feet of one of his friends. But instead of taking another look at Champ, Nicole took the small glass, which he had carelessly put on the pool table and emptied it in one go.  
With a loud noise she put the glass down again and left the bar.

Eve couldn't react as quickly as Nicole had reached the bar door and was out of sight. She reached for her jackets, which they had placed on a small bench near the pool table and tried to catch up with Nicole again.  
When Eve left the bar, she looked around for Nicole. The officer had already put some distance between herself and the bar.

 

"Champ, what was that ?" Jason was visibly upset.  
Champ got up and leaned on the pool table. "It was worth it !"  
"Yeah ? For whom ?"  
Champ got what he wanted. The evening could hardly be better.  
"Let's go. It got pretty boring here."  
Champ didn't give his friends time to reply. Just a few moments after Nicole and Eve, Champ left the bar.

 

"Nicole, wait !" Eve ran a few steps until she was level with Nicole.

"Nicole, please, stop and put your jacket on, it's freezing out here. And then let's call a cab to drive you home."

"No cab, I need fresh air." Nicole took her jacket and moved on.

"Put on the jacket !" Under grumbling Nicole did what Eve said.

The temperature had dropped a few degrees since leaving Pussy Willows. And by that time it had been pretty cold already. Eve wasn't sure it was such a good idea to walk. But she followed Nicole a few yards away, just to make sure Nicole arrived home safely.

 

Waverly was sitting in the floor of the kitchen, Rosita was kneeling in front of her.

"Hey." Rosita's hand was on Waverly's shoulder. "I am sorry." Waverly just shook her head. She had sat silently in the kitchen and cried until her colleague came to her and made her company. They both knew there were still guests in the bar who needed to be served.

"Here," Rosita gave Waverly a handkerchief, "wipe your tears and blow your nose and then come back to the bar." The distraction will be good for you."

"But ..."

"Don't worry, Nicole and her friend are already gone and Champ is gone too, leaving the bar shortly after." Rosita put her hand under Waverly's chin and raised her head.

"You're an Earp. That must be good for anything. You're strong, right ? Come back in. We'll close the bar soon anyway, maybe we're lucky and the rest of the guest leave the bar in the next minutes, then you can go home earlier." Rosita winked at her encouragingly.

Waverly nodded. "Give me a minute, then ..." Waverly began, but was interrupted by Rosita.

"I'll give you two minutes." Rosita got up and left the kitchen.

Waverly took a deep breath. She was an Earp and the Earps had always been strong, indomitable, and they definitely wouldn't let a foolish kiss of the ex-girlfriend ruin her life. 'Let Nicole kiss who she wants !' Waverly thought.

 

Nicole and Eve were already about 10 minutes on the road. Despite the warm clothes, Eve began to freeze. Presumably it was the combination of cold night air and alcohol.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction ?" Eve looked around. She usually had a good sense of direction, but she didn't know that street and she wasn't sure if they had taken the same route a few hours earlier.

"Yeah. I'm sure, I live here and I know the streets, I know where I go."

"Sorry, I just thought ..."

"What ? That I'm emotionally upset to think clearly ?" Nicole had stopped and turned to Eve.  
Eve raised both hands apologetically.

"It's just a crossroads." Nicole had move on again.

They didn't say a word until they reached the next street corner.

"Nicole, wait. You're not going home ! That's the Sheriff's Department. What do we want here ?"

"If you come in, you will know." Nicole opened the door to the Sheriff's Department and looked around. At night there was only one official on duty. Lonnie was on night duty, and as usual, when working at the least popular time, he was sitting behind his desk with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. He was sleeping and Nicole didn't feel the need to wake him up. She headed straight for the kitchen.  
Eve followed her silently.

"To be honest, I've just got a déjà-vu. What are we doing here, Nicole ?" Eve had stopped in the doorway.  
Nicole opened one cupboard door after the other until she found what she was looking for.

"I hope you're not mad at me, Wynonna." As Nicole turned around, she held a full bottle of whiskey in her hand.

"One too ?" Nicole lifted the bottle a bit and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Don't you think we drank enough ?"

In response, Nicole turned and got a cup out of the cupboard. "That's probably a 'no'." She filled the cup and then put then bottle back to its original place. Then Nicole took a sip and inhaled audibly. She ignored the burning sensation in her throat and took another sip. 'Fight fire with fire,' she thought.

Eve had stood behind Nicole, one hand on her back, and reached for the cup.

"You didn't mean to drink alone, did you ?" Nicole left the cup to Eve.

"Wynonna will not be thrilled if we drink more than one cup."

"Wynonna ?" Eve took another sip.

"Yeah, she's the only one who keeps whiskey in the Sheriff's Department, she can't work without whiskey ... well, actually, she can't do anything without whiskey." Nicole smiled. She didn't know anyone like Wynonna ... she was unique, in her special way ... her lovely way.

"Since you're not allowed to drink anything at the moment ...," Nicole opened the cupboard again, reached for the whiskey bottle and closed the door.

"You know that tomorrow we will regret our desicions today ?"

"Let's go." Eve smirked, shook her head slightly in disbelief, then followed Nicole. Lonnie was still sleeping at his desk and so the two women could leave the Sheriff's Department unnoticed.

 

Rosita had been right. The few guests at Shorty's gradually left the bar and the two women began to clean up, bring some empty glasses in the kitchen and put all the bottles back on the shelves.

Waverly stood at the bar, with a few bottles on the counter in front of her. She picked up one of the bottles, tiptoed, and put the bottle on one of the shelves above the bar.

"Wait, I'll do it. I'm a little taler than you." Rosita and Waverly reached for the next bottle at the same time. Waverly's hand was on Rosita's. They were so close that Waverly could clearly feel the warmth of Rosita's body. And before she could even think about it, the young Earp turned to her colleague and kissed her. Her hands were around Rosita's neck, and also the Latina put her arms around the narrow waist of the young woman opposite her. The kiss was anything but cautious or reserved from the start, it was more rough and demanding.

"Waves, wait. Tha's not a good idea." Rosita laid her hand defensively on Waverly's chest and ended the kiss. Waverly's breathing was fast, she wasn't yet able to say anything and she couldn't meet Rosita's eyes.

"Look at me, Waves." Waverly hesitated.

Rosita put her index finger under Waverly's chin and lifted her head so far that their eyes had to meet. Waverly looked in those dark, bright eyes, which probably would have made any heart beat faster. Waverly leaned forward to continue the abruptly interrupted kiss. Rosita's index finger jumped from Waverly's chin to her lips and made her stop.

"Waves !" Rosita shook her head apologetically. "Waves, you know as well as I do that you don't wanna kiss me ... but someone else."  
Waverly sighed and leaned back against the bar.

"I'm not sure what's going on with you two, but maybe you should talk to her."

"Talking ? About what ?" Waverly's voice was louder than intended. "About coming here in my bar and kissing another woman ? She knew I would see it !"

"Waves." Rosita spoke softly, not wanting to support Waverly in her bad mood. "You love Nicole, I know that, and she loves you, too." Waverly smiled and shook her head in disbelief. "How she's looking at you says everything. She's been watching you all evening. Why would she do that if she didn't have any feeling for you ?" Rosita paused to let her words take effect. "This kiss doesn't mean anything." With a casual wave, she threw 'the kiss' over her shoulder.

"I saw that kiss. It wasn't a 'Hi-nice-to-meet-you' kiss, it was a 'I've-a-warm-and-comfy-bed-you'd-like-to-see-it?' kiss."

"So for me it was more an 'On-the-bar-is-my-ex-girlfriend-the-one-I-still-love-and-I-would-prefer-to-kiss-her-but-kissing-you-is-better-than-nothing' kiss. Will it be a contest about 'Who can put together the longest word' ? What happened, Waves ?"

Waverly dropped her eyes and her fingers began to fiddle with the edge of her shirt.

"I just wanted ... I needed time ..." Waverly stammered to herself.

"Time for what ?"

"So much has happened, things that make me doubt myself, I don't remember who I am, Rosita, what I am and where I belong."

"Wow, the ultimate questions of life." Rosita put an arm around her friend's drooping shoulders.

"Each of us asks the same questions from time to time. You can try to find the answers by yourself, but you have the opportunity to embark on this journey with the person you love from the bottom of your heart, the person who would do anything for you and not rest until all your questions are answered, regardless of the consequences, even if it means to let you go. Few people are lucky to have such a person in their life, don't push her away, she doesn't deserve this."

"But ..." Waverly stopped. She knew that Rosita was right. Nicole was special. She was loyal, generous, courageous, ... Waverly would have gone on forever to describe Nicole's character. "I don't deserve her."

"Are you crazy ? You both deserve the best, and you're the best for each other."

"Nicole is much better off without me. Without me she would never have joined the Black Badge Division and wouldn't be exposed to such dangers, her job is dangerous enough. And now ... demons, revenants ... she's always and everywhere in danger, and if she's not, then it's me and she's trying to safe me, which in turn puts her in danger. I don't want her to get hurt. Maybe it's best if ..."

"Stop ! Don't even think about it !" Rosita pinched Waverly lightly in the shoulder. "Nicole will always worry about you whether you're a couple or not. She worries about you."

"Yeah, and that's the problem. Everyone is always worried about me, as if i can't take care of myself. I'm always behind Wynonna, Dolls, Doc and now also behind Nicole, but I can not just sit at a desk and translate old texts that nobody else can read. I want to be a real member of the team. I can also fight and protect the people I love. I'm not the little girl hiding in a closet and humming lullabies anymore !"

"I think anyone can see that, Waves. But trust me when I tell you that no one is standing in front of you because they think you can't fight. Hurt or even kill someone, human or revenant ... it always leaves its mark. For Wynonna and Nicole this is part of their job description. They just want to prevent you from losing a piece of yours because every little piece is valuable. They only want you to be who you are. They love you the way you are. They don't think you are weak, they don't want you losing your strength, your humanity."

"Maybe ..."

"Yeah ...?"

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I took the wrong path by pushing Nicole away from me. I should have talked to her, tell her what's going on in my head. Nicole is always so understanding. I don't know what I was afraid of. Maybe I overreacted a bit."

"Maybe ?"

"Okay, not just 'maybe'." Waverly sighed.

"And what will you do now ?"

"The right thing." Waverly had found her smile again. "We Earps always get what we want." Waverly wrinkled her nose and giggled.

"And what do you want ?" Rosita smiled knowingly.

Waverly bit her lip and blushed slightly.

"I want Nicole !"  
While not all questions that worried Waverly's mind were answered, the conversation with Rosita was exactly what Waverly needed. She just hoped she had not hurt Nicole's feelings too much. Waverly knew she had to talk to both Nicole and Wynonna. And none of the conversations would be easy. But you have to face your fears directly ... only then you can fight them. And if Waverly was one, then a fighter.

"Good." Rosita looked around the bar. "You know what. I'll clean up here and you go home, get some rest, and tomorrow morning you call Nicole, meet her, and then talk to her. Be honest with her and she'll be honest to you. Tell her what you've told me. She'll understand." Rosita kissed Waverly's cheek and then pushed the young Earp toward the exit.

"And now ... get the hell out of here !" Rosita laughed.

"You're the best, Rosi," said Waverly smiling, grateful for having found a friend in Rosita who seemed to be able to read her like an open book.

Waverly sat in her jeep. She wanted to do exactly what Rosita had said. A conversation with Nicole should help both to find each other again. Honesty was the key to a happy relationship, and Waverly inended to share her thoughts with Nicole and work with her to fight any issues that still left her life will bring up to them.

Waverly started the engine and turned on the radio.

 

_Everything shines, this day,_  
shows up cheerfully.  
He hugs me, laughs at me  
It goes on.  
Everyone says, be patient,  
Your pain will go.  
But as far as I can see,  
There is no consolation for me to see.

Because the hole in my heart  
Looks exactly like you.  
and with no other cover  
Is it ever again,  
Is it ever again.

_I was formless, drifting,_  
I slept  
I was colorless, I was empty  
Until we met  
Only with you got my heart  
His final form.  
And now you are not there anymore,  
But your picture never got lost.

Nicole was exactly this piece that was missing in Waverly's heart. But Nicole was by no means out of reach. Waverly would do whatever was necessary to convince Nicole that she was sorry for what she had said to her at the Homestead, that she hadn't thought of breaking up with her, that Waverly had only one person to live with ... all that mattered was that they would be together.

Waverly drove off towards the Homestead. Although it was night, but everything around Waverly doesn't seem to be that dark. She hoped that everything would be fine, as it should be. She wanted to live her life with the person she loved above all else, the person who accepted her as she was, the person who didn't allow herself to be influenced by rumors and public opinion, the person who always formed her own opinion.

This person was and would always be Nicole Haught.

With a smile Waverly left the last homes of Purgatory's behind. There was no light outside except for the headlights of her jeep.  
For Waverly's future with Nicole Waverly wanted to provide even the necessary light.  
Tomorrow ...

 

On the way from the Sheriff's Department to Nicole's house, the bottle changed hands several times. When Nicole and Eve finally stood in front of Nicole's house they almost drunk all the whiskey.

"Finally at home." Nicole needed to grabb the banister as she walked up the four steps to her front door, searching for the key in her pockets.  
Eve cleared her throat.

"Take this here." Eve held up a bunch of keys and made it strum to get Nicole's attention.

"My key ! Why do you have my key ?" Nicole chuckled.

"Looks like I gave you the wrong jacket at the bar earlier." Eve laughed. "I wondered why it smells so ... different." Eve grabbed the collar with one hand and pulled it under her nose. "Smells of gun oil, gunpowder, and adventure."

"Very funny. I don't wear this jacket on duty. Can I have my key now ?"

Eve went up the stairs. In passing, Eve brushed Nicole's upper body. She tried unsuccessfully to unlock the door several times.

Nicole watched with a chuckle as Eve tried to focus, putting the key in the keyhole in the dark.  
"Let me do that." Nicole grabbed Eve's hand, took the key, leaned forward a bit, opened the door easily and pushed it open. As Nicole straightened up, she looked directly into Eve's eyes.

"I would like to have my jacket back again." Nicole's voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"You can have it." Eve pulled off Nicole's jacket and threw it carelessly through the door into the house. "And I would like to have mine."  
Eve began to open the zipper of her jacket, Nicole was still wearing. Nicole looked down and tracked Eve's hands. Eve's eyes wandered between her hand and Nicole's eyes. When the zipper was finally open, Eve put her hands on Nicole's shoulders from the front, letting them wander sideways, shoved the jacked over her shoulders, over her arms and hands, then threw it through the door. Nicole watched the garment flew through the air and disappeared into the darkness of the house.

As Nicole felt Eve's hands press her slowly against the wall of her house and then disappear under her sweatshirt, she felt the cold on her skin, she closed her eyes and inhaled audibly.  
Next thing she felt was Eve's lips on hers. Short, gentle. Nicole first believed that she had imagined it when Eve kissed her again. With more pressure. Instinctively Nicole put her hands on Eve's cheeks and returned the kiss, still with her eyes closed. Eve's hands continued to move up, pulling the sweatshirt with them. Goose bumps covered Nicole's entire body. Because of the cold – because of Eve's closeness and touch ...? Slowly the two of them parted again to take a breath.

"We're drunk," Nicole said softly. Eve could see Nicole's chest rise and fall, fast.

"Not too much." Eve chuckled und Nicole bit her lower lip.

Eve couldn't resist, she leaned forward again to continue what they had interrupted.

"Let's go in," whispered Nicole.

Without letting Nicole slip from her embrace, Eve pushed her through the door frame and closed the door with a kick of her left foot.


	19. Chapter 19

# Chapter 19

Can anything be more beautiful that getting up early to watch a sunrise in a nearly cloudless sky ? The moment in which all life awakens, caressed by the first rays of the sun, which at first still shyly climb over the edge of the horizon, until they drive away with all their might the darkness and cold of the night.  
Is there anything more beautiful ?  
On a morning following a night with a huge amount of alcohol and not so much sleep ... yeah, on such a morning, the sun could bang right on your doorstep, hold a hot cup of coffee and fresh rolls in her hands and you'd open the door and close it again immediately, only to crawl back into the warm bed.

Eve was used to getting up early. She had seen many sunrises. Every one of them was a miracle.  
First, the blue of the sky gets brighter. The stars disappear slowly until only the brightest are visible. But even they can't take it long at dawn. The sun itself isn't yet visible, but her forerunners announce her appearance with beautiful purple and pink reflections in the clouds. When the sun reaches the edge of the horizon, its golden arms reach for the earth and its inhabitants, filling them with warmth and energy for the day ahead. Full of desire, everything on earth stretches in the direction of the big, bright star in the sky, eagerly waiting to be completely surrounded and caressed by the sun's rays.

Eve stretched to expel the last of the fatigue from her limbs.

"Sometime I miss my eighteen-year-old body." Eve didn't feel old, yet there were times when she realized she needed to take more care of herself and her body.  
Eve stood in the doorway to the kitchen and looked around. Nicole was carefully organized, so her kitchen had to be subject to a certain system.  
And indeed, after just a few simple steps the coffee machine was in operation. Eve opened one of the cabinets and took out two cups. Nicole would certainly need coffee as a wake-up agent. She put the cups on the table, turned around, opened the fridge, took out the milk and closed the door again.  
Eve's eyes fell on the small magnets on the door. Obviously travel souvenirs. Nicole had said that she used to do a lot of rock climbing, maybe she had brought some of them from her travels. Eve touched one of the colorful magnets, but unfortunaltely let it fell.

"It's definitely time for the first coffee." Eve smiled at her awkwardness. With a quick flick of her hand, she re-attached the magnet to the door and turned to the coffee machine. Slowly the kitchen began to smell of fresh coffee. Eve took a deep breath. The smell of coffee alone made her wake up. Eve took a step back, sitting on the edge of the table and closing her eyes. A warm sunbeam dropped through the kitchen window and hit Eve's face.  
If a day started like this, it could only be a really good day ... right ?

Nicole awoke from a sound that seemed to come from the kitchen. She wasnt alone !  
Nicole sat on the edge of her bed and immediately regretted the fast movement. Was her bed turning or was it just like that ? She grabbed the sheets with both hands, trying to stop the dizziness. Without success. She closed her eyes and dropped back onto the bed. Maybe getting up at the moment was a very good idea.

Where he memories of the last night were supposed to be was just darkness. Nicole had no idea what had happened. What she did know was that it smelled irresistibly of fresh coffee.  
Nicole slowly rolled to one side. Unfortunately, she was too close to the edge. She wanted to support herself with her hand, but reached into the void. With a dull thud, Nicole landed on the floor in front of her bed.

"Damn it !"

 

Eve had heard Nicole's cursing. She filled both cups with coffee, sat down at the table, and looked out for Nicole.

"Meow"

"Hi, Calamity Jane. I was expecting another redhead, but I wish you a good morning as well."

CJ exed Eve and then pointedly sat down in front of her bowl. She didn't care who gave her something to eat ...

"Meow"

"Oh, breakfast ?" Eve nodded. "I think, I saw your food somewhere, wait a moment."  
Behind the second door of one of the cabinets, Eve found the cat food.

"Meow"

"Sorry, I don't know all that well in the kitchen." Eve shook her head. That was clearly Nicole's cat. She smirked, poured some food into the bowl and CJ began to eat.

"Enjoy your meal." Eve stroked CJ's head. The cat stopped eating for a moment, lifting her head and nestling into Eve's touch. CJ's purr indicated Eve as a good sign.

"Good morning." Nicole's still slightly sleepy-sounding voice startled Eve.

"God !" Eve put a hand on her chest and looked wide-eyed at the doorway. "Good morning. You're already awake."

"You make a lot of noise when you make coffee." Nicole smiled. "You're still here !"

"Yeah, obviously." Eve sat down at the table again and pushed the second cup towards Nicole. "Sit down."

Nicole hesitated for a moment. She felt a little uncomfortable ... in her own kitchen. But the coffee was too great a temptation. She sat down at the table opposite Eve. The next few minutes passed in silence. It wasn't a very pleasant silence. While Eve seemed lost in thoughts, Nicole's fingers drummed against her cup. Occasionally she looked at Eve, who was lost in her own world.

"Why are you still here ?" Nicole asked softly. "Oh, God, I didn't mean that rude as it sounded."

"What ?" Eve looked up from her cup, right in Nicole's eyes.

"I mean ... you slept here ... in my house."

"Yeah, I have." Eve leaned back in her chair and continued to look at Nicole. "If I had known I should have left, I would have gone. I didn't know how you deal with such situations."

"Such situations ?" Uhm, to be honest, I'm not sure what ..." Nicole stopped and blushed slightly.

Eve smiled. "You can't remeber what happened last night, right ?"

Nicole could only shake her head and avoided looking at Eve.

"Okay. What's the last thing you remember ?" Eve tilted her head to one side and narrowed her eyes. Slightly.  
She could remember everything very well.

"Uhm, I did something stupid and we drank Wynonna's whiskey .. and ... uhm ... at the front door ... we ..." Nicole pointed with one hand in the direction of the front door.

"Kissed ? Yeah, I remember that too ... and I'm sorry I started doing that ... we really had a lot of drinking ... and ... actually that's no excuse."

"Actually, I started it, at Shorty's." Once again, the pictures of the pool game appeared in front of Nicole's eyes. Waverly's empty look, Champ's stupid grin, and the kiss with Eve. After the lost game, she had a choice between not kissing and outing herself as a coward or kissing and probably hurting Waverly's feeling with it. In both cases Champ would win.

She had taken a lot of time to consider everything. Nicole suspected that Waverly probably wouldn't care anyway, so she decided to kiss. That this kiss could have consequences, she wasn't aware at this time.

"Is that all we have done ?"

"What do you mean ? Ooh, you mean .. if we slept with each other ?"

Nicole nodded. She had celebrated with friends a few times in her youth, smoked and had drunk a lot ... but she has never had such a blackout.

"No," Eve shook her head and swallowed, "we didn't."

"Well, I don't know if I should be relieved or disappointed." Nicole had found her smile again.

"I know that sounds weird, you probably will not believe me anyway ... but I'm not into women ... I've never had anything with a woman, that ... yesterday ... I don't know why ..."

Nicole gaped at Eve for a moment.

"Wow, you're right, I don't believe you. And it's not just about last night. I had a feeling from the beginning ... a feeling that we've known us for ages, as if there's a special connection between us."

"I had the same feeling. Nicole, you're awesome, you look amazing, you're successful, intelligent, funny, you live your life the way you want it, you don't let others influence you. And I think it's better not to mention your surname now." Eve chuckled. "If there was anything last night between us to talk about, I'd be the one to be lucky."

Eve grabbed Nicole's hand and interlocked their fingers. For a while, the two women sat in silence at the table. This time it was a pleasant silence that both seemed to enjoy. The sun filled the kitchen with warm and powerful light. A single bird could be heard from outside. Not quite as melodic as in spring. He seemed to miss his fellows, who had already begun their journey south. He would follow soon.

In the last few minutes, the two women had been so open and honest with each other, and that was the reason why Eve felt guilty. She kept quiet about Nicole and knew it was wrong not to say anything. But was it the right moment to talk to her ? To admit that she had misused her trust ?

How much time had passed ... seconds ... minutes ?  
The little feathered singer had probably become too cold in the north. He had stopped singing and left the women alone in their thoughts.  
It was not that right ... Eve noticed the silence ... as well as something else ...

Nicole was sitting at the table with her mug in her hands. Eve stood in front of the fridge, opened it and put the milk back.

"Nicole ?" Eve's voice was more of a whisper.

"Yeah ?" Nicole turned her head and was surprised. She didn't know THIS Eve. Her expression made it clear that the next conversation would be very serious.

"I think I should tell you something about me. I think it's time ... telling you the truth. You need to know the truth ! Now !" Eve's voice sounded even more serious than expected.

"The truth ?" Nicole was confused. Would she find out more about the last night now ?

"The story I told you, at the diner ... about me, growing up in this Christian church ... well, it's not 100% a lie ... it wasn't a Christian church. I grew up in some kind of 'youth camp' ... some might even call it a 'lab' ... but ... crap ... I think we don't have much time." Eve paused for a moment. "I grew up in the BBD. I was a test subject. I hardly have memories of my real family ... my childhood ... sometimes I have flashbacks but I'm not sure if those are really my memories. They tested on me one of their substances to make me a better soldier in their fight against the supernatural. To create soldiers like Deputy Marshal Dolls. But the substance didn't have the desired effect on me. I am still more or less a normal person, apart from improved senses from time to time. I can smell better then, hear better and my skin is hypersensitive. The latter is sometime not so bad." Eve tried o smile. "But I cannot control it. And without control you are worth nothing for the BBD. They recruited me as an Agent of the BBD." Eve swallowed. "My 'brother' ... his name is Rick Tremblay ... he is my supervisor ... was my supervisor. Now he is my only friend."

Eve's voice trembled. When she stopped talking, she let out a loud breath. Now that she had said all these things aloud, she felt better. But she wasn't finished yet.  
Nicole didn't know exactly what to think. Who was this woman Standing in front of her in her kitchen ? She wanted to know everything About her ! Now !

"Why are you here in Purgatory ? Who were you assigned to ? To me ?"

"I'm not here to kill anyone ! I'm here to protect you … to warn you all !"

"Warn ? From whom ?"

"The Black Badge Division." The answer sounded as if it had been obvious who they had to be warned of.

"The BBD is gone. The HQ is deserted. There's no sight that BBD has ever been there at some Point." Nicole shook her head in disbelief.

"Oh, so you think they're gone just because they left their HQ ? Cute. You remember Judge Cryderman who killed himself by headshot, in Shorty's ? Your new Judge, Judge Martin, is a BBD Agent. And his only Job here in Purgatory is to watch you !"

"What ? But … how do you know all These Things ?" Nicole was still skeptical.

"I've been researching About myself … who I am … where I came from … I found a couple of documents classified as 'Top Secret'. Most of the parts were blackened but some were still readable. These documents talked about experiments on Children and adolescents - terrible Experiments. If the Experiments went wrong, the Children were simply taken away. What exactly happened to them can only be guessed. Some attempts were successful, whichever means successful. I suspect These Kids are now being used as super-soldiers on Special assignments. One of the documents seemed to be about me. The name was not readable but what was in the file was my Story. However, I found no indication of my origin. In another file, I found Xavier Dolls' Name. He is referred to as the 'advancement of the base level' and as 'full of success'. Whatever that means. The attached photos on some documents were scary. All the medical equipment and the disfigured bodies." Eve's voice cracked. Her eyes filled with Tears as she thought of all the ruined lives. No matter if they were called success or failure.

 

Eve had always been determined to be on the side of the good guys but those documents left her in doubt.

"In my further Research, I found documents about a small town called Purgatory which contained the names of the Earps, all Earps, starting with Wyatt. Your Name and that of John Henry were also to be found in it. I know that John Henry is Do Holliday. It's Incredible. I mean, how could he survive so Long ? Especially as a gunslinger !" There was obviously admiration in Eve's voice.

"Eve … I don't know …"

"Oh." Eve smiled. "Eve ?! Well, that's not my real Name, of Course. My Name is Kaitlyn Monahan. Kaity." She remembered last night how Nicole had pronounced her fake Name and had to smile.

"Okay, Kaitlyn. You said you are here to protect us. About what exactly ?"

"Wynonna is a thorn in the side of BBD, well, actually your entire Team. The Earps are blamed for Opening the Ghost River Triangle to anything Supernatural."

"But that was …" Nicole tried to defend Wynonna.

"I know. Willa Earp." Kaity shrugged. "You are all considered enemies of the BBD since you invaded the HQ and liberated Dolls. And his flight has made him a traitor but above all the fact that he is helping you."

"I wasn't at the HQ."

"You belong to the Team, even if your bloody Fingerprint never appeared under one of the contracts." Eve was really very knowledgeable. How many Hours did she spend in the BBD Archives to find out all Details ? Always in fear of being discovered and punished.

"Okay, but you still haven't answered my Question. What does BBD want from us ?"

"Dolls is supposed to be back in one of their labs. They know that he initially got his 'medicine' from a co-worker and that you've found someone in the meantime to produce a replacement drug for him Right here in Purgatory. The Earps are to disappear so that they cannot make such a mistake again as with the Gateway to the Ghost River Triangle. Doc Holliday - that explains itself. His immortality, I mean his longevity is a Miracle. The perfect update for future Generations of soldiers. Chetri and you … you are collateral Damage. You just know too much."

"But you are also from BBD …" Nicole felt like she was trapped. She had no idea how Right she was.

"No longer. The Goal pursued by the BBD my be desirable but their Methods are simply wrong. They are inhumane, brutal. They destroy humane life first to destroy the Supernatural. Which I can't reconcile with my conscience. I'm not like that and that's why I'm here. You are the only ones who can stop the BBD."

"And why are you telling me all this now ?"

"Do you remember ? My good sense of smell ?" Kaitlyn made a short pause. "We are not alone !"

"What do you mean with 'we are not alone' ? There's nobody else in the house." Nicole didn't quite understand what Katily wanted to say.

"I can smell him." Kaity took a Deep breath. "Them. I can smell them. At least three."

A Sound from outside made both women startle.

"Where's your gun ?" Kaity's voice was only a whisper.

Nicole pointed to one of the shelves in the Living room. There, her gun Always lay when she was out of Service.

"Spare magazines ? You will probably Need them."

"In the drawer over there." Nicole got up, got her weapon and the remaining ammunition. But instead of going back to the kitchen, she opened another drawer and pulled out her second weapon.

"You shouldn't be unarmed." Nicole put everything on the kitchen table. Kaity laughed. Her weapons lay in the Motel room, safe but also far away.  
Kaity picked up one of the guns. Then she put a Hand on Nicole's forearm and became more serious again.

"You should inform your Friends. We might Need some help here. Call Wynonna."

There was a knock on the front door. Kaity unlocked her gun and Nicole did the same.  
"You have polite demons here in Purgatory. Unfortunately, it will change soon."

The front door was opened with a loud bang. It hit the wall behind and broke. The wood splinters flew through the whole living room. Instinctively, Kaitlyn threw the table over and pulled Nicole behind.

"Go on ! Call her !"

Caööing Wynonna was generally a good idea. But Nicole's cell phone was on the small table next to the sofa. Nicole looked desperately at Kaitlyn and pointed to the table. Thn she shrugged.

They had no choise. If they wanted help they needed the phone. Kaitlyn took a double breath, picked up her gun and crawled around the table and then around the couch. She never lost sight of the front door but no attacker was yet to be seen. Just as she reached out to take the phone, she saw a hooded figure running towards her. Without much thought, she grabbed the cell phone and threw it into the kitchen, hoping Nicole would catch it. Then she also took her second hand on the weapon to stabilize it and fired four shots. The figure staggered backwards and then fell on the ground. Right next to the stairs. Kaity knew he had only been the vanguard.

Nicole had picked up the phone and Wynonna was ready at the other end of the line.

"Wynonna ... Nicole here ... no, shut up ... we need help ... in my house."

As if confirming Nicole's statement, Kaity fired another three shots at the next figure trying to get inside. A hit in the shoulde forced the person to take cover at the door.

Splintering glass to the right of Nicole made her realize there was no time to talk to Wynonna anymore. Without ending the conversation, Nicole just dropped the phone on the floor next to her, yanked her gun up und fired. But it was too late. A figure in black had already grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her to the ground. The hard impact winded Nicole and she let go of her gun. Dazed and completely defenseless, she lay before him. Nicole looked up. Somehow she expected to see red-glowing eyes but those eyes were ... quite normal.

Nicole scrambled to her feet and tried to fend off the next attack. But her adversary was just too strong. Nicole expected to be knocked down again when Kaity jumped over the table, tearing both the attacker and Nicole. With a few deliberated blows to the head, this man was off.  
Nicole ! Kaity turned and saw Nicole lying on the floor. She held the back of her head with one hand an as she brought her hand forward again ... blood. Nicole had bumped her head against one of the cupboards.

"Everything okay ?" Kaity squeezed between her lips. Her pulse throbbed in her ears and her hands trembled. But not because of fear or pain but because of the extreme tension she was currently experiencing.

"I'm fine." Nicole's voice was very quiet and Kaity almost didn't understand her. But there was no time to ask. At least one masked figure was left. Kaity knew she had to kill him as soon as possible. Nicole tried to get up but her knees gave way and she had to sit down again, for better or worse.

"Here." Kaity pushed Nicole's gun to her feet. "Take your weapon and wait here. I'll see where the third is."

Nicole nodded weakly. She leaned her back against the fridge door.

"I'll give you fireprotection." Kaity hoped it wouldn't happen because she wasn't sure if Nicole would shoot the right person.

Kaity disappeared back into the living room and hid behind the sofa. Nicole's gaze became blurred. She felt her lose her strength but she fought it. She was Kaity's only backup. Nicole's upper body tilted to the right. She was no longer quite behind the overturned table but just so far away that she had, if only very vaguely, a clear view to the living room.

It was quiet. Too quiet. The next moment, three shots of Kaity's gun tore the silence and lingered in Nicole's ears for a while.  
Kaity had shot the third man as he tried to get to the sofa and Kaity in a few quick steps.  
He wasn't fast enough.

"I'll come anf get you now. First you and then your little friend. She'll see how I'll going to show you the mercy of death under unspeakable pain."  
It was only a whisper but Kaity heard the scratchy voice as if it were speaking the words directly into her ear.

Kaity got up slowly, threw her gun on the sofa, took a few steps forward and now stood on the other side of the sofa. Closer to the front door. She knew that her remaining ammunition wouldn't be enough to do much damage. It would be an unequal fight but she was unwilling to give up just like that. Until her last breath she wanted to defend Nicole who didn't deserve to die here today. Kaity glanced to her left into the kitchen. She could see Nicole lying behind the table ... with her eyes closed.

Nicole could barely keep her eyes open. Her head ached, her eyes flickered and the sound in her ears was unbearable. With her last strength she opened her eyes again. She could see two shadows in the living room. The smaller of them had to be Kaity. They just pretended to talk but Nicole didn't hear anything. Suddenly the taller figure reached for the smaller one. The hand seemed to go to the neck ...

Kaity was mesmerized. He stood in front of her ... looked at her with the green eyes of a lizard.

"Judge Martin." Kaitlyn returned his expression unimpressed.

"You should have stayed where you were. It was so easy to find you here." The eyes seemed to brighten and a smile played around his mouth. Kaitlyn grimaced in disbelief as small pointed teeth and a forked tongue appeared. How she hated what the BBD had made of people ... including herself.

"Not everyone bothers to be told by others that he's a failure and worth nothing. And the air in Purgatory is much better." The provocation hit the bullseye.

Suddenly his right arm jerked forward and grabbed her throat. Instinctively she tried to free herself with both hands. She slapped his wrist, trying to reach for him but his grip was too tight. Slowly she lost contact with the floor ... breathing became increasingly difficult ...

 

Nicole could only guess what was going on in her living room. But what she could see left little room for hope. Kaity seemed to be at the mercy of this great black figure. She fought with all her might but ...

'I have to help her' was Nicole's last thought before she closed eyes and heard nothing of the outcome of the fight ...

***

Dolls brought his SUV to a halt in front of Nicole's house.

"You wait here, Waves !" It almost sounded like an order.

"Wait here ? You're crazy ! I need to know if Nicole is okay." Waverly's voice trembled. Yes, the last few days hadn't been easy, and after the events of the previous evening, Waverly's reaction was certainly not expected, but how could she ignore that Nicole might be in mortal danger ?  
Wynonna had answered Nicole's call in the former BBD office. Waverly and Dolls stood right beside her as she activited her phone's speakter after she realized that something was wrong.  
All three hadn't hesitated a second. Dolls had grabbed his gun and car key and set oof with the Earps.

Without another word, Waverly pushed open the car door and headed for the house. She walked quickly up the four steps to bump against an invisible wall. Behind her, heard two more car doors beeing closed. Wynonna and Dolls followed with their weapons drawn.

"Waves, wait, we'll go in first." Wynonna hadn't even reached the lowest level when Waverly walked to the door.

"Waves !"

Waverly had to put a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. The oncoming fear, however, made its way into the open in form of tears.

The lock of the front door was broken and on the floor lay wooden splinters. The door itself had fallen off its hinges and leaned against the wall on the left side of the entrance.  
Waverly took a quick step across the threshold and then another one over the wood splinters. Her eyes are directed to the ground. She was afraid to look up.  
The coat rack was on the ground, partially covered by jackets. The small bench which was usually under the window on the left, was now halfway up the stairs, Nicole's climbing equipment right next to it. Nicole was always very careful with her equipment, she would never let her harness be knotted on the floor.  
Waverly kept walking into the apartment, followed closely by Wynonna and Dolls, who lokked around attentively.  
Waverly's eyes fell on the desk on the opposite wall. The monitor had fallen down, together with the keyboard. The chair, which usually stood in front of the desk, was gone.  
Waverly was reluctant to tale the next two steps. This mess scared her. Nicole was a very tidy person. If her living room looked like it was now, it could only mean that something had happened. Something very bad.  
Slowly Waverly turned her head to the right.  
The sofa had been overturned and was on the opposite wall, the sofa cushions were spread throughout the room. The small coffee table was broken into its pieces. No floorlamp was in its place.  
None of the photos of the mountains where Nicole was already climbing or was going to climb there hung on the wall. The picture frames were broken, the glasses splintered. The small cupboard, which actually stood next to the kitchen door, lay now across the passage, so that all the books had fallen out and also the photo of Nicole and Waverly found a new place in a corner of the room.

Waverly had always felt very comfortable in Nicole's house. It exuded a certain comfort and calm. Just the perfect place to rest after a long shift in Shorty's in her girlfriend's arms or just to enjoy the togetherness without being disturbed by Wynonna.  
What she saw now was pure chaos, tearing Waverly inwardly and terrifying her.

It was scary enough because there was only one hope at the sight ... Nicole was not at home when this happened. But it was only a small hope. Because what was even more frightening than the mess and the destroyed furniture was the blood that soaked the big carpet in the middle of the room. Bloody handprints on the floor, the banisters and the walls. Dark red sanding marks suggested that there had been al least one survivor.

Waverly felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Nicole is certainly fine, we both know she can defend herself." At the sight of the apartment, Wynonna's words were only a small consolation to Waverly. She turned to hug Wynonna, resting her head on her sister's shoulder, letting the tears flew. Even Nicole could hardly have survived such an attack.

Wynonna, too, had not expected such a sight. After Nicole's call, she was prepared for many things, but that it would be so bad exceeded her fears.  
Wynonna had initially considered Nicole a rival, both in her work and her relationship with Waverly. But that had changed meanwhile. Nicole was now a friend, no, she belonged to the family and that meant that Wynonna was also worried about the redhead. For one selfish reason because she just didn't want to lose a friend. Friends were in short supply in Wynonna's life. But most of all, because Waverly would break if something had happened to Nicole. Something that was probably in direct contact with the Earps.  
Wynonna could never forgive herself for that.  
Dolls still held his weapon raised, pointed briefly to the stairs and after a short nod from Wynonna he disappeared upwards. It wasn't sure that they were alone.  
The spacious living room was quiet. Only Waverly's sobs could be heard until ...

"Did you hear that too ?" Waverly broke from her sister's arms.  
Wynonna picked up Peacemaker and cautiously took a step towards the kitchen. Both Earps had held their breath, unaware of what they would find.

With a quick turn, Wynonna jumped into the passage to the kithcne and set up Peacemaker ...

"Nicole ?" Wynonna dropped her gun again.  
Behind the overturned kitchen table, she could only see the officer's red hair. But who else besides Nicole could it be ?  
From the kitchen Wynonna received only a faint moan in response. Waverly, however, pushed her rudely aside and wanted to make sure that it was really Nicole and how she was.

"Nicole !" Waverly climbed over the upturned cabinet and walked around the table. Nicole sat half-leaning upright against the cupboard. She had closed her eyes and lowered her head. She doesn't seem to be completely conscious. Waverly knelt beside her, put her left hand on her shoulder, her right hand on her cheek.

At the warm and gentle touch, Nicole slowly opened her eyes. She could only see blurry, but who was sitting next to her, she recognized immediately.

"Waves." Nicole's voice was nothing more than a whisper, shaky. Then she closed her eyes again.

"No. No, no. Don't close your eyes, look at me. Please." Waverly now clutched Nicole's face with both hands, as if she could prevent Nicole from losing consciousness.

"Look at me, baby." Nicole opened her eyes again, slowly, and it took a few seconds to focus on Waverly. She saw the fear in the face of the young Earp, but also the concern.

"I'm fine." Nicole braced herself with both hands sideways on the floor and tried to sit upright. In vain. She barely had strength in her arms, combined with headache and everything revolved around her. She blinked several times and hoped her apartment would soon stop turning.

"You're fine ? Seriously ?" Waverly took her left hand from Nicole's cheek and drove reassuring over her head.

"What ...?" Waverly took her hand from Nicole's head and looke dat it. Something dark re, liquid stuck to her fingers.

"Omg, you're bleeding, let's see." Waverly slid closer to the cupboard to better examine Nciole's back.

"It's not so bad." Nicole tried to fend off Waverly. But even if the young Earp was a lot smaller than Nicole ... at the moment there was no escape from her caring.  
Waverly looked around and found a clean cloth that she squeezed on the wound.  
Nicole narrowed her eyes as the cloth touched her head and hissed a curse between her clenched teeth.

""So, it's not that bad, huh ?" Waverly kissed Nicole's forehead. She knew that Nicole didn't want to show weakness to her. It has always been like this.

"I'll drive you to the hospital right now. Wynonna and Dolls are going to check if everything is safe." Nicole nodded carefully.

"Can you remember what happened ?" Waverly looked questioningly at Nicole but also hoping. She wanted to know who did this to Nicole. Who dared to invade and hurt her and leave a mess. At the thought of a horde of red-eyed revenants, an unexpected rage and desire for redemption rose in her ... no ... revenge.

"Dolls !" Wynonna's voice seemed to cut through the togetherness of the two young women in the kitchen like a knife. There were heavy footsteps coming from the stairs.

"Hm ?"

Waverly couldn't see what was going on in the living room.

"Look, are those of you ?" A dull sound hinted that Wynonna was dropping a box or something like that on the floor. Then came th rustle of paper.

"No. They're not mine. They're brand new, look at the date." And more rustling.

"Hm, right, but these are older, a few years older."

Waverly's curiosity was aroused. What did Wynonna and Dolls look at ?

"Wyn, what did you find ?"

"Come and look at it, babygirl."

Waverly turned to Nicole. She didn't want to leave ger alone in the kitchen.

"Go." Nicole smiled and finally life came back into the brown eyes which had already fascinated Waverly in Shorty's at their first meeting.

"No ! Can you get up ?" Her worried look met Nicole's

"If you help me a litte, certainly." In support of her statement, Nicole nodded. She wasn't sure if a little help would be enough, but she also wanted to know what Wynonna and Dolls were talking about.  
Waverly got up, put the bloody cloth aside and handed Nicole both hands. Nicole sat up straight and grabbed with her right hand Waverly's With her left she leaned on the ground and slowly got up. She was a bit shaky on her legs.

When the two women finally saw across the table into the living room, their eyes fell on the overturned cabinet. Something was written pn the back wall pointing towards the kitchen.

"She is your person !"

Nicole and Waverly looked at each other. Who left this message ? Whom was it addressed to ? And what did it mean ?  
Everything here became more and more strange.  
Waverly put one arm around Nicole's waist and allowed her to lean against her shoulders in return. Together they climbed over the cupboard and joined Wynonna and Dolls.  
On the floor stood a box of documents. Dolls held a brown envelope in his hand, unfolded, and the top paper clearly showed the black star of the Black Badge Division. Nicole began to waver while trying to look closely at the documents in Dolls hand.

"Whoa ... I think you better sit down again ... Wynonna ?!" Waverly nodded toward the sofa and Wynonna understood immediately.

"Come on, Dolls. Let's get comfortable on the sofa."

"But ..." 'Typically Dolls' thought Wynonna. She looked from Dolls to the sofa, to Nicole and back to Dolls. Everyeye movement supported by a slight nod. He had to understand that, right ?

"Oh, yeah, we can continue reading while sitting." After understanding what it was all about, Dolls turned the sofa over and placed it, almost on its own, in the middle of the room, right on top of the big bloodstain on the carpet.  
With a soft sigh, Nicole sat down and pulled Waverly with her. Wynonna took some new papers from the box and sat on the armrest next to Waverly.

"Okay, and what are these records now ... if they're not from us, who are they from ?" Waverly frowned, questioningly. Except for Dolls, they didn't know anyone from BBD who would volunteer to povide them with documentation.

"Oh, uhm, Nicole ... I think that's for you." Wynonna held an elvelope in her hand on which Nicole's name was written. She handed it to Nicole who accepted it with a confused expression.

"A leeter ? For me ? Was it in the box ?" Nicole turned the envelope over to see if there was more than her name on it. Nothing.

"Yeah ... uhm ... I mean, no, it was not in the box, it was on top of it. I know I shouldn't have opened the box, a closed box in your apartment is none of my business ... but it looked out of place ... it didn't fit to the mess."

Was that an apology from Wynonna ? Wow. Nicole smirked and then returned her attention to the envelope. After a few seconds, the evelope was open and Nicole pulled out a piece of paper.  
The writing was quite blurry and at the edges were clearly bloody fingerprints to see. Nicole inhaled audibly.

Nicole suddenly felt a throbbing pain in her head and the cold floor on her chest. She heard a man's deep voice and Kaitlyn trying to breathe. She felt helpless. She slowly remembered the terrible things that happeneed in her apartment. Without realizing it, her eyes closed and filled with tears.

"Nicole ?" Waverly wiped one of the tears that ran down Nicole's cheek with her thumb.

"Kaitlyn." Nicole's voice was very soft, but still heard from everyone else.

"I beg your pardon ?" Waverly couldn't remember that name.

"Eve. The box is from Eve." Nicole shook her head slightly. There was still time for a detailed explanation later. She unfolded the paper and began to read.

HI,

WHEN YOU READ THIS LETTER, YOU HAVE FOUND MY  
LITTLE SURPRISE FOR YOU. WE HAVE LEFT YOU  
SOME DOCUMENTS AND SOME NOTES FROM OUR  
RESEARCHES. I HOPE SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS  
WILL BE ANSWERED. IT'S ONLY THE TIP OF THE  
ICEBERG.  
I'M SO SORRY THAT I COULDN'T TAKE BETTER CARE  
OF YOU AND I HOPE YOUR HEADACHES WILL  
SUBSIDE SOON.  
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU LIKE THAT BUT RICK  
PUSHED ME AND WE HAB A LOT TO DO.  
YOU DON'T NEED TO LOOK FOR US - YOU WOULDN'T  
FIND US ANYWAY.  
BUT WE KNOW HOW TO CONTACT YOU - THAT'S  
ENOUGH. AND WE WILL !  
WE'RE ON THE SAME SIDE.  
YOU'LL HEAR FROM US. PROMISED !

KAITY

P.S. ABOUT WAVERLY - SHE'S YOUR PERSON ! DON'T  
LET HER GO THAT EASY !!!

Now it was clear who left the message from the back of the closet. Kaitlyn wanted to make sure Nicole got the message. And Waverly too.

Three pairs of eyes were directed at Nicole. She hadn't read the letter aloud and the others were waiting to find out what was in it.

"And what's in the letter ?" Wynonna asked impatiently.

"Only that they leave us some of their records."

"There are some of the most secretive BBD files." Dolls looked at another pile of paper and shook his head in disbelief. "Where did they get it all ? And who is 'they' ?" Only Nicole could answer that question, but she wasn't ready to tell her friends the whole story ... at least the part of the story she knew.

"Dolls, here's your name !" Wynonna handed the MArshal a file in which most of it was blackened. But in the first paragraph, Dolls' name was still to be read.

"And this is a list of all Earp heirs, starting with Wyatt right up to you, Wynonna. The number of killings and informations about the circumstances of their murder." Dolls handed Wynonna a piece of paper.

"Two pages seem to be missing here, page 7 of 9." Wynonna leaned forward to look for the missing pages in the box.

"Guys, maybe we can drive Nicole to the hospital first. She says she's fine but I'd like to have that confirmed by a doctor." Waverly smiled at Nicole and then kissed her cheeks. Nicole didn't seem thrilled to visit the hospital again but she also didn't want to argue with Waverly. It felt so good to have her around, feel her, smell her. Like a few days ago, before this all-changing conversation at the Earp homestead.

"You're right, Waves. And the records are safer in the office than here. So we can tell Nedley what happened here ..." Wynonna stopped and looked at Nicole. "What exactly happened here ?"  
When Nicole hesitated, Waverly came to her aid.

"It can wait." Waverly also wanted to know what exactly happened, but she also knew that if Nicole started talking now, Wynonna and Dolls would ask questions. Nicole would answer conscientiously and they all would still be sitting here on the sofa tomorrow. No, she wouldn't let that happen. Nicole had to be examined by a doctor and then she would need some rest. And Waverly would make sure that Nicole would get the necessary rest too.

"Come on, take all the stuff with you and let's go." Waverly stood up and reached out for Nicole's hand to help her getting up. But to prove that she was really fine, Nicole got up alone.  
Wynonna threw her stack of papers back into the box, got up and headed for the front door.

"We can't close this one, is that a problem ?" Wynonna pointed to the door.

Nicole walked slowly past her outside.

"I don't think. It can hardly be worst." Shrugging, she went down the stairs.

"True again." After everyone had left the house, Wynonna tried to close the door as much as possible so that no one would see from a distance that the door was broken.  
Yeah, Nicole actually belonged to the family ... otherwise Wynonna wouldn't care about that.

 

The drive to the hospital was silent. Wynonna and Dolls thought about the documents, Waverly worried about Nicole and Nicole ...  
Nicole probably only survived because Kaitlyn had fought the last attacker. But what had happened after she lost consciousness ?  
Was Kaitlyn seriously injured ? All the blood in Nicole's house ...  
If the letter really was written by her, how could she survive the attack ?

Where was she now ?

***

The landscape passed by the window without being noticed. Where they went, she didn't know. She just looked outside and still couldn't believe she was alive ...

***

_Recently ..._  
His fingers closed around her throat and it felt like her opponent was wearing an iron glove. At first she tried to defend herself to the best of her ability. Hit his hands. But she couldn't free herself. Every second he held her in the air made her weaker. She was aware that she was not just fighting for her own life, but sometimes a strong will to survive is simply not enough. She looked into these green eyes and knew that they would probably be the last thing she would see in her life. She looked death directly in the eyes, but showed no fear.  
Slowly her eyes closed and her arms were hanging next to her body. She had no strength left to fight. Then she opened her eyes again and smiled.

_What followed was a hard blow to the body of her opponent. The amazement in his face gave way to surprise. He released his grip on her throat and the next thumb was the result of her body impacting the floor. Before she lost consciousness, she could still see the figure in front of her turn and sway sideways as of struck by a heavy hammer  
Close to death, it didn't matter who gave her the final blow, so she closed her eyes and surrendered herself to her fate._

_When she opened her eyes, a familiar figure knelt beside her and talked to her._

_"Open your eyes. Come on !" The voice sounded a little unclear, but it was clearly the voice of her partner.  
Kaitlyn blinked a few times and then straightened up. She looked around. The apartment was a mess._

_"Where is he ?"_

_"Where he belongs !"_

_"Wynonna, she's on her way here." Kaitlyn remembered the call Nicole was going to make to call for help. That was not necessary anymore._

_"Then we should better disappear. To explain everything here should be a bit difficult. I cleaned up most of it, but ..." Rick got up while he spoke._

_"Nicole !" Kaitlyn jumped up and looked toward the kitchen. As she started to leave, Rick held her by the arm._

_"She's fine. She's not seriously injured. We don't have time for that now, we'll have to get one out of the way, then we can go." Rick went to the stairs and grabbed the dark-clad figure by the legs and pulled him outside. With dull thuds, the figure's head landed on the lower two steps and then on the floor before rolling back and forth between outstretched arms, leaving the only remnant of his presence a bloody sliding track._

_Kaitlyn looked back at the kitchen. She was reluctant to go to Nicole, but Rick was right. They had no time and if Nicole would wake up now, there would be a lot to explain. But just leaving, Kaitlyn couldn't do that. She climbed over the cupboard and knelt on the floor, her back turned to Nicole. When she got up again, she looked around the living room and found a sheet of paper and a pen beside the overturned desk. She took both and started to write._

_"Seriously ?" Rick came through the broken door with a box in his hands. "We are in hurry and you write a letter ?" He shook his head and set the box on the back wall of the living room on the floor. Kaitlyn took an envelope from the box and put her letter inside. Outside, she just wrote 'Nicole' on it and then put the envelope back onto the box._

_"Ready ?" Rick was already back at the front door._

_"Ready." With a last anxious look to Nicole, Kaitlyn left the house._

***

They had left the city limits of Purgatory long ago. Somehow everything had gone differently than expected. They had been in search of allies, but it was by no means clear whether the group around Wynonna Earp would understand why Rick and Kaitlyn had been to Purgatory. Hopefully Nicole could bring a little light into the darkness.

The box they had left in Nicole's house was full of copied documents about the Earps, Dolls, and interesting incidents in the Ghost River Triangle, which had been investigated by the Black Badge Division. It was far from all documents. Just a little taste of what would come next. When it was the right time.

Files about the two former agents weren't in the box. Only Nicole knew who they were and these informations had to be enough for now.

For a brief moment, the sun light reflected in the windowpane and Kaitlyn saw again the two terrifying green lizard eyes that had stared at her as if they could suck her life out of her body. A shiver ran down her back and she was glad that she would never have to look into those eyes again.

Judge Martin ... they will be looking for him for some time, but they won't find a body. He and his assistants will remain stowed in the trunk until further notice, until a safe deposit is found. Rick's and Kaitlyn's sudden disappearance would also be investigated. Presumably, the sheriff will link the two facts ... but no investigation will lead to satisfactory results. If you can hide away from BBD for a while, a loval sheriff won't be a challenge for you.

 

However, Purgatory offered yet another challenge for Kaitly ... a very personal one - Nicole Haught.  
Was it just that she had never met a person like her or that there was anything going on in the town that affected Kaitlyn deep inside her ?  
It was undeniable that this officer had something special, but Kaitlyn needed to be more professional with the situation. She should have been more focused. Whereby ... she was focused ... on Nicole.  
She knew she would have had to defend herself more last night, defend more against the longing so willingly answered by Nicole.  
Purgatory was like a poison that spread more and more into Kaitlyn's organism, taking possession of her body and mind.  
With each mile away from this town, Kaitlyn felt freer.

Did she regret the night ? Yes ... and no. But she hoped Nicole wouldn't remember in the future. And in case remnants of memory were to return, she had left the message. She wanted to remind Nicole where she belonged ...  
Nicole knew exactly who she belonged to. At least that's what her subconscious mind know.  
Kaitlyn took a small piece of paper out of her jacket pocket. When she turned it over ... it was the business card of Nicole Haught, Police Officer, Purgatory Sheriff Department.

 

_When Kaitlyn woke up that morning and tried to get out of bed as cautiously as possible, she pulled the blanket for too long. As Nicole took a deep breath, Kaitlyn was already afraid to have woken her. But Nicole pulled the blanket only tighter around her body and whispered in a sleepy voice, "Five more minutes, Waves."_

_Despite her instincts, Kaitlyn was neither offended nor disappointed. She smiled and looked at the mess of red hair on the pillow._  
She didn't intend to wake Nicole. She slipped out of the bedroom, went down the stairs.  
When she saw the jacket on the front door, she just shook her head at what they had done yesterday. 

_She suddenly felt Nicole's hands on her skin, her lips on her own._  
She saw the little beads of sweat that showed over time on Nicole's forehead.  
She could hear Nicole's breathing, which got faster and faster, then stopped for a moment, finally leaving Nicole's lungs in a single second.  
Nicole's fingers claw into Kaitlyn's back, holding both bodies together as closely as possible. The heat between them was almost unbearable and felt so good at the same time.  
Kaitlyn tries to drive the pictures out of her head. 

_She picked up the jackets and hung them on the wardrobe. Then she turned to the kitchen and stopped in the doorway._

 

The events of the last few days were only a small part of what Kaitlyn and Rick had planned ... a small step toward the dissolution or exposure of the Black Badge Division ... but they were just at the beginning of their journey. Hopefully they had found allies inPurgatory. The future would show it.

The beginning of the end of the Black Badge Division. They had to exercise patience.

"A moment of patience can stop a disaster - a moment of inpatience can ruin a life."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it  
> comments are welcome ... i would really like to read you opinions ;-)  
> I think about to continue the story about "Team Wynonna" and a new allie...what do you think ?


End file.
